Cynder-Two Prophecies
by The Friendly Space Marine
Summary: War. Strife. Pain. These have been constants in her life until now.But her moment of peace is shattered and Cynder,Wings of Sky,is forced to return to Pyrrhia to protect everyone she cares about. As dark forces close in,Cynder must find a way to end the war before it's too late.But Malefor's return looms and a second dire prophecy is uncovered foretelling the end of everything.
1. Prologue

Prologue: A Second Prophecy

Farsight soared through the dark skies as fast as her wings would carry her. Her mind was a jumble of emotions and worry weighed heavily on her. What would happen if one of the other NightWings found out that she had left without permission? They would be furious that she had compromised the location of the Night Kingdom by leaving.

And what would become of her dragonet who had been taken by Morrowseer weeks ago before it had even hatched? Could she really trust the Talons of Peace to care for her dragonet? Would her dragonet really be able to shoulder the responsibility of guiding the NightWings' plans to fruition?

She had always been told how immense an honour it was to be the mother of the dragonet who would change the fortunes of the NightWings forever. But she didn't want that honour-she just wanted an ordinary life for her dragonet, a chance for it to grow up in a normal, loving family instead of being all alone. She knew it was selfish of her but a part of her didn't care.

But these were eclipsed by something far more concerning. Her thoughts this night were not of her own dragonet but of another. Tonight, she searched for the Wings of Sky. She had been spending time in the NightWing archives of late to try and bury the pain at the loss of her child. It was there she had made a chilling discovery.

All NightWings knew the Dragonet Prophecy to be false. It was merely part of the greater plan to seize the Rainforest Kingdom for their own uses. The fact that they had managed to fool all the tribes of Pyrrhia into believing such bogus was laughable to most of them. Personally, Farsight had never liked the idea-it was too cutthroat, too ruthless to sit well with her. But if it provided a quicker end to the dreadful war that ravaged the land, she was willing to live by it, even if it was nothing higher than deception. Or so she had thought…

For within the depths of the NightWing archives, Farsight had uncovered a scroll detailing a second prophecy. At first, she hadn't quite believed what she was seeing. But something about it struck her as too much of a coincidence. Her mind wandered to one of the most disturbing parts…

' _Second, a hatchling stolen on Brightest Night,_

 _the Wings of Sky obscured from sight._

 _From shadow to free her no matter the cost,_

 _for without the black dragon the cause is lost.'_

The similarities were unmistakable. The hundreds of years-old scroll had used the exact terms found in the Dragonet Prophecy; the Brightest Night, the Wings of Sky. It couldn't have been pure chance.

And if she had understood the rest of the scroll correctly, something terrible was poised to happen. It spoke of the rise of 'the Dark One' and all sorts of omens of doom and darkness. Who was the Dark One? Could it be one of the three SandWing sisters? Or was it something worse, something infinitely more cruel and dreadful than even them? What did this mean for the NightWings? Could their false prophecy spell more dire things to come? What did it mean for all of Pyrrhia?

All she knew was that the SkyWing dragonet was somehow involved. She had to find it before it was too late! But she was so confused. The scroll had spoken of 'the black dragon' and the SkyWing dragonet as if they were one and the same. But that was impossible! The only black dragons were the NightWings! Worse still, she had no idea where to start looking for the dragonet. For all she knew, maybe the Talons had already abducted the dragonet and it was already too late.

She decided her best chance would be to go to the Sky Kingdom. If there was anywhere she would find a SkyWing dragonet, it would be in its own homeland. She flew high, her obsidian-coloured scales helping her blend in with the dark thunderclouds. She hoped that, even if she was spotted, her status as a NightWing would provide her with some form of diplomatic immunity. A flash of lightning lit up the skies and it began to rain. In the darkness of the sky, the raindrops took on an inky hue and as they streaked down her scales, Farsight could not help but think how closely they resembled blood seeping from open wounds…

"You there!" a voice called. "Stop!"

Farsight cursed under her breath. She had been careless. The lighting had illuminated her silhouette! She hadn't even thought to try and fly above the clouds!

She turned to face her pursuer. It was a SeaWing and he was closing fast! Farsight decided she couldn't outrun him and so she hovered there, waiting for him to arrive.

"Wait a minute," the SeaWing gasped as he got a better look at her. "You're a NightWing!"

"Yes, I am," she snapped, trying to mask her fear with irritation. "And I'm on urgent business regarding the Prophecy so I'd appreciate if you didn't slow me down."

"The Prophecy?" the SeaWing asked, suspicion dawning on his features. "That wouldn't by any chance have anything to do with Queen Coral's kidnapped dragonet, would it?"

Farsight hesitated. "Of course not!" she snarled. "What would you know about the Prophecy anyway?" She was lying through her teeth now. Had the Talons really abducted a Princess?

"All the same," the SeaWing said. "I'm going to have to take you in for questioning. You can either come quietly or we can do this the hard way."

Oh dear, thought Farsight. She hadn't expected this. What do I do? She briefly considered making a run for it. But who knew if there were more SeaWings patrolling the area? Maybe she could intimidate him into letting her go.

She never got a chance to try. Suddenly, a feral, howling screech tore through the black skies. Both Farsight and the SeaWing spun around to find no less than sixteen ominous dark shapes descending upon them from above!

Farsight got a better look at them. They weren't dragons! Or at least they looked nothing like any dragons she knew of. Each of them had small fur-covered torsos paired with disproportionately huge bat-wings tipped with cruel-looking claws. They bore no resemblance to the reptilian features of a dragon and had wickedly sharp fangs and bulbous glinting eyes that jutted forwards from their heads.

More shocking were their riders. Each of the bat-winged creatures bore aloft a lone rider in the saddle. Scavengers! But closer inspection revealed them not to be scavengers at all! Instead, they were bulkier and their posture was more stooped than a scavenger's and their features bore closer resemblance to the howler monkeys in the forest. Not scavengers then, but Apes! Each Ape was clad in furs and rudimentary leather armour and bore a jagged longsword. The sporadic flashes of lightning that momentarily illuminated their countenances along with the twisted, horned helms that adorned their brow, gave the riders a cruel, almost demonic look.

The SeaWing never stood a chance. He was quickly swarmed under by the attackers and hacked to pieces in a flurry of claws, teeth and flashing blades. To Farsight, it looked as if he had been dragged into a miniature tornado of beating wings and scything claws. His ravaged remains fell limply from the swarm of bat-creatures which then closed in on her.

Terror overtook Farsight and she beat her wings as hard and fast as she could. Her pursuers' large wings gave them the advantage of speed but Farsight's desperation spurred her ever onwards to outrace even them.

As she looked back and saw that the creatures were struggling to keep up, some semblance of rational thought returned to her. What were these things? Why had they attacked? All these questions and more raced through her mind.

But for the single moment she was distracted by pondering these questions, she failed to notice the dark shape looming in the cloud cover just in front of her. Too late did she try to veer off to avoid her cleverly-hidden enemy.

As the NightWing plowed towards them, the Dreadwing executed a perfectly-timed flip and the Ape rider, now inverted in his saddle, extended his sleek blades to rake at her wings as she flew by. He didn't even have to swing his swords, only hold them there as the dragon's own momentum allowed them to slice cleanly through her wings.

Farsight stalled in the air as her wings were suddenly separated from her and she plummeted towards the ground which rushed to meet her. Her last thoughts as she fell to her death were for her dragonet.

The Assassin watched with clinical professionalism as the dragon he dispatched hit the ground with a sickening 'thud'. He cleaned his blades on the side of his scabbard, wiping away the blood with contempt. The other Apes eventually pulled up alongside him on their Dreadwings.

"Two of you," he ordered. "Go down there and make sure that dragon is dead."

"But nothing could survive a fall at this height," one of the Apes protested. "Why bother, sir?"

"You heard the Dark Master," the Assassin snapped. "We're to clean up all traces of the SkyWing dragonet. The NightWing and SeaWing being this close to the Sky Kingdom couldn't have been a coincidence. Make sure she's dead. I'm not leaving anything to chance."

His glare told his subordinates all they needed to know of the consequences of protesting and the Apes hurried off to carry out his commands. Never once did the Assassin consider that the dragon he killed might have had a family; a lover who would never hear from her again, an unborn dragonet who would never get to meet its mother. Instead, he turned his mind's attention to the oncoming squadron of SkyWings that had just entered his peripheral vision.

Just another bunch of dragons to kill on this long night, he thought. With that, he sighed and issued orders to his squadron commanders and prepared to repeat the murders they had just committed.

Author's Note:

Hey guys, the sequel to Wings of Sky is finally here! But don't worry if you haven't read or understood any part of the first installment, the way I've done this is that it can serve as a standalone story all on its own.

So how did you find the prologue? Perhaps the Assassin isn't as warm and nice as everyone thought him to be. Perhaps Farsight wasn't killed by SkyWings but rather was found dead in the Sky Kingdom after going to find the SkyWing dragonet? As you've probably already guessed, this will have a darker tone than the first installment. As it should for the Dark Master's return is nigh and, soon, the SandWing War for Succession will be the last thing the dragons of Pyrrhia will have to worry about.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Waking Nightmares  
**

Darkness still enshrouded the land when Cynder awoke. A starlit sky greeted her after a dreamless, tranquil sleep. She rose, feeling strangely weightless. Where was she? What time was it?

Suddenly the ground beneath her trembled violently and, one by one, the stars were smothered by inky shadows. The night sky somehow turned darker, almost as if a massive dark claw was reaching across the land. Cynder had no idea what was going on but instinct told her that she didn't want to be anywhere near here to witness what was about to happen. She ran.

She ran as hard and fast as she could, trying with all her being to get away from the shadows that pursued her. She had no idea where she was going. She didn't know how far she'd come. It was like running through an endless void. All of a sudden, a mountain loomed before her.

She knew this place-the fortress where she'd been raised, the dreadful place the Apes had called the Mountain of Malefor...

At the mere thought of his name, a wave of fear washed over Cynder, paralyzingly every fibre of her being, chilling her to her very soul and leaving her rooted to the spot, unable even to cry out!

"There is no escape," a mocking voice called out from behind her, harsh like a crack of thunder. "There is no escape from my power."

Cynder knew the voice. It was one she had hated and loathed for years. It was one that had held her in its thrall, forced her to commit horrifying atrocities and unspeakable crimes. It was the voice of the Dark Master.

"Y-you ca-can't be here. S-s-spyro s-stopped you," she managed to stammer through her clenched teeth. This couldn't be happening. Stark terror coursed through her entire body, eclipsing all rational thought.

"It is of no consequence," Malefor's voice boomed. "For soon I will return."

Suddenly, the moon-the last light in the sky-went black. A huge figure loomed in the backdrop-a vaguely dragonlike shape but infinitely more massive than any normal dragon should've been. It reared its head, crowned with cruel horns, and opened its maw, filled with stalactite-like fangs, and roared in triumph. The murky shadow of its tattered wings blotted out the sky and a black skeletal claw stretched forth and seized her in its crushing grasp.

As she was caught up and dragged away, Malefor spoke again. "You will never escape your fate, Cynder."

Then the inky black shadows engulfed her, smothering her, choking her, blinding her. She could do nothing but wait for the end as everything went dark.

Cynder's eyes snapped open instantly and she sat up with a jolt. Her breath came in shallow, rapid gasps. A blank, featureless stone ceiling greeted her after her restless sleep. She took a deep breath, relieved. It had all just been a dream. No, not a dream, a nightmare. She got up, feeling sore all over. It all came back to her now. She was in the Dragon Temple. It was probably either close to midnight or very early in the morning judging by the lack of light from her window.

The nightmares had plagued her for so long that she was surprised she was still scared by them at all. And every night, it had been the same nightmare. Years of being the Dark Master's favourite tool of destruction had left their mark on her.

She lashed out a claw at the wall in frustration. Her talons tore jagged scars in the stone but it barely made Cynder feel any better. It wasn't her fault! She had never asked for any of this. She didn't even belong in this place. It had all been decided before she'd even hatched. She'd been stolen from her home by dragons who had believed that she had a part to play in some ridiculous prophecy to end a war she had no part in. But not everyone had been keen on allowing the outcome of the war to be decided by a group of 'prophecy dragons'.

So one such dragon, Burn, perhaps the most vicious and bloodthirsty dragon Cynder had had the misfortune of knowing, had intercepted her egg and thrown it off a cliff, intending for all hope in the prophecy to die with her. Death would've been a mercy compared to what came next.

An Ape from a distant land, the Dragon Realms, had stumbled upon her as she lay on death's doorstep. Out of sympathy, or perhaps in accordance with the dark will of his master, the Assassin had brought her back with him and Malefor had been able to drag her back from the brink of death. His dark magic had saved her life but inadvertently it had twisted her and warped her to the point where she was unrecognizable as a SkyWing.

Malefor had spent the next years deceiving her, moulding her into a weapon which he then used to subjugate the Realms. She had unknowingly enacted terrible deeds in his name and by the time she realised Malefor's true nature, it was too late for his grip over her had been made absolute.

But in the end, no matter how hard she wanted to believe that everything hadn't been her doing, she found herself confronted by the despairing knowledge that it wasn't true. She had to acknowledge the grudging satisfaction she'd felt in the power she'd wielded as Malefor's greatest servant. It wasn't just satisfying, it had been intoxicating! To her horror, she had actually felt a small part of herself enjoying the havoc that she wreaked, the fact that others had been at her mercy when she had none to offer. In a way, she had no longer been the victim.

She knew she could've resisted Malefor-she'd done it at the final battle. She should've fought him harder, she should've been stronger than she had been. Whenever she looked at her sick, sorry past, she felt anger boiling alongside the grief, a hatred of an enemy who'd turned her into a weapon.

And that was why things would never play out like they had in her nightmare. She wouldn't cower when Malefor came for her, she wouldn't try to run. She would stand her ground and make him bleed for what he'd done to her, she would fight the battle she should've fought long ago.

Cynder got up, shaking her head. The still air in her room was stifling and she needed to get out into the open to clear her mind. Quietly, she opened her door, careful not to make too much noise. The others-the Guardians and Spyro-were probably still asleep now. They'd been kind to her; in spite of everything she'd done, they'd forgiven her and taken her in. It was the least she could do not to wake them.

She crept through the halls of the Dragon Temple as eerie shadows danced and stalked in the moonlight, like so many talons reaching out from the darkness. Much of the Temple was still foreign to her-it hadn't felt right to prowl after her hosts had so graciously accepted her. She turned a corner to one spot she knew well-the balcony that overlooked the nearby swamplands. There, she saw the last dragon she'd been expecting.

"Spyro?" she whispered.

He wheeled around to face her, his entire body tense. "Oh, Cynder," he said, relieved. "It's you. Sorry, you had me startled."

"What're you doing up this late?" he asked.

"I couldn't sleep," she said shortly.

"Oh," he said simply. By now he'd gotten used to how Cynder usually never spoke much. He stayed silent and moved to one side of the balcony so she could have her own space.

Cynder tried to speak but no words came. She hadn't intended to come across as being so cold and distant. Spyro had saved her from Malefor and, deep down, she was really grateful for that. He'd undone all the enchantments the Dark Master had put on her to accelerate her growth and returned her to her normal form as a SkyWing dragonet, albeit one with black scales. He'd looked past her misdeeds without a moment's hesitation, despite her past efforts to kill him. He'd been kind and open to her but she had simply turned aside each time. But it wasn't that she held any grudges from their past enmity, she had no idea how to talk to him face to face!

What was she to say? 'Thanks for freeing me from Malefor. You were great back there!' or 'You did a great job changing me back. I'm just a little sad that the black scales have to stay.' No, that would be ridiculous. Still, perhaps she could be just a bit more outgoing.

"So what're you doing here at this hour?" she inquired, trying to sound as conversational as possible.

"I couldn't sleep either," he said, sounding mildly surprised. "It might sound silly coming from me but nightmares have been keeping me up the past few nights."

"No, not at all," Cynder said darkly, recalling her own troubled dreams. "I understand."

"It's as if something's lurking just on the edge of my vision," he continued. "Some kind of nameless threat waiting to strike but watching from the shadows for now. I don't know what it is but I'm afraid the Dark Master may be returning."

"Is that so?" Cynder asked, stifling her shock. Her nightmare had borne similar tidings. It was too much of a coincidence, she decided. She'd need to talk to one of the Guardians about it.

Spyro nodded gravely. "I'm not afraid of him," he said though he sounded uncertain, almost as if he was trying to convince himself. "But I fear for everyone else who can't defend themselves. Like my family."

"Your family?" Cynder asked. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen anyone who even looked vaguely related to Spyro.

"Not my real family," Spyro told her. "Ignitus tells me that when I was still an egg, the Dark Master's followers attacked the grotto. They smashed all the other eggs there. Mine only barely escaped thanks to Ignitus."

"I was found by a family of dragonflies," he said. "Hard to believe, right? Well I was raised by them alongside my foster brother, Sparx. Believed my whole life I was a dragonfly until I discovered the Dragon Temple. I never really got to know who my parents were or whether they're still alive."

"I'm sorry," Cynder said. She thought back to her own mother, the SkyWing Queen, Scarlet. She'd believed that Scarlet had wanted her dead so she'd have no challengers for her throne but she had later found out that it had all been another of Malefor's lies and that Scarlet had been searching for her tirelessly after she'd disappeared. She barely knew her at all. And now they were worlds apart. "I really am. It must be terrible."

Spyro nodded. "It is," he said. He seemed to like having someone to confide in, Cynder thought. And she felt better too. She wasn't alone. Spyro had been through circumstances almost identical to her's. Maybe this was somebody who could understand her after all. But she felt that she had to lift the mood.

"Hey, how about we start training together tomorrow?" she asked, trying to change the subject. "I know I could use a bit of practice. So that when Malefor does show his craven face, we'll both be ready?"

"If you're up to it that is," she added.

"Yeah, sure!" Spyro said. "It'll feel good to be doing something other than just waiting around for him to make the next move."

"Meanwhile, try to get some sleep," she said. "I'd rather not be fighting a dragon half-asleep."

"I will," Spyro said with a smile, turning to walk away. "I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to it."

"Yeah, me too," she said. And she meant it.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Ghosts of the Past**

Cynder ducked and rolled as Spyro's tail whizzed by just inches over her head. They had been sparring for three hours now and her scales were covered in a glistening layer of sweat. She was sore in a couple of spots where Spyro had been able to land blows. The round had been tiring and painful but there was no denying that it had also been educational.

For instance, now that she had the body of a dragonet her age, she could no longer strike with as much force as she used to when she had had the body of an adult SkyWing. Also, blows that she had used to be able to shrug off contemptuously before now felt a lot more painful-probably because she was now significantly smaller. In addition, she could no longer sense Malefor's seemingly-natural instincts for combat subconsciously telling her what to do.

But that wasn't to say that being a dragonet didn't have its advantages. While she couldn't take as much injury as she used to be able to, her small size made it difficult to even land strikes. She couldn't fly as fast as before but she found herself able to manoeuvre in the air in a much more agile manner-diving and changing direction was much easier with such little bulk.

And so she had been forced to change her fighting style and approach to combat. Previously, she had fought with wild abandon, always aiming to strike hard and fast to cripple her foe as quickly as possible and avoid retaliation. But now her reduced strength and endurance meant that she would have to rely on her agility to avoid being hurt too badly and instead slowly tire out and wear down her opponent. Which was what she had been practicing with Spyro all this while.

While he had been able to hit her, most of the damage he inflicted had been during the early part of the bout when Cynder had still been getting used to her new fighting technique. Cynder was now finding it easier and easier to evade him and strike blows of her own.

It wasn't that he was bad at fighting. Nothing short of pure skill could've possibly kept him alive during their battle in Convexity. He just seemed tired, sluggish for some reason. His stamina was flagging and exhaustion was making him careless. His attacks became sporadic and often overextended so that Cynder was easily able to get under his guard.

It occurred to Cynder that perhaps they should take a break and catch their breath. She felt sorry for him. She just had no idea why he didn't seem to be fighting like he'd used to. Was he holding back? Was it his confidence?

"Spyro, you don't look too good," she said concernedly. "Maybe we should stop for a while and carry on later. I think you need the rest."

"Nah, I'm good," he said to her with a wan smile. His tone carried no hint of frustration. "Let's keep going." He's persistent, she marveled. Really persistent. But at this rate he's going to get himself hurt.

She was about to insist when Spyro lunged at her. The movement seemed slow, almost as if it were happening underwater.

Cynder easily evaded Spyro and he tumbled past her and landed with an audible 'oof'. She was upon him in moments, pinning him under her claw. Spyro futilely struggled to rise but fell back, panting heavily.

Then it happened. The world seemed to spin around Cynder. Her vision became blurred and she blinked hard a couple of times to clear it. When she looked back down at Spyro, she gasped in horror.

There, pinned beneath her claw was the bloody, decapitated corpse of an IceWing. The head lay not far away, the IceWing's face trapped in a permanent visage of terror. Cynder staggered back, aghast. The dry air on her scales felt hot, as did the ground beneath her claws. She looked down and realised she was standing on the sandy floor of the SkyWing arena!

She backed away with a muffled cry. Her claws were drenched in blood and tangled with knotted, rope-like entrails. All around her the dragons in the stands cheered and roared. Then she took a closer look at them and realised they weren't dragons at all. They were Apes! And seated where her mother should've been was a silhouette-like figure-a dragon made up of wispy shadows.

"Murderer," the disembodied head accused to her, still lying in the sand. She jumped back, startled and disgusted in equal measure at the grotesque scene unfolding before her.

"Murderer," the head repeated. "How many more innocents have been butchered at your claws?"

As if in answer, the floor of the arena was suddenly awash with dragon corpses. There were so many of them, all in various stages of decay, all brutally dismembered and horribly maimed, that they were piled five deep on the arena floor.

"No," Cynder said, shrinking away. "I didn't do this. It wasn't me! I HAD NO CHOICE!" But still doubt lingered at the back of her mind... Had it really been Malefor's influence that had made her do it? Or had it been something else-something unfathomably evil, something inside her that lurked just out of sight, just beneath the surface? What if the monster she had been, the very thing she had hated, had been a reflection of who she really was all along?

"There is no escape from what you've done," the IceWing's head rasped, spurting a fountain of gore at Cynder's feet. "No escape."

Suddenly, as if sensing her fear and uncertainty, the corpses all stood groggily, staggering and limping towards her. Their claws reached out, grasping at empty air, and they groaned as they walked. Cynder tried to back away but found herself encircled by the wall of walking dead.

"No escape," they echoed as they staggered ever closer. "No escape… No escape…"

They grasped at Cynder, scratching, biting, tugging. She tried to fight them, tried to beat them back, but there were so many of them. They were dragging her down-choking her, pulling her deeper into the mound of bodies. The shadow dragon stood, its mocking laughter like a crack of thunder.

The last thing Cynder heard before the air was forced from her lungs was the ongoing chant of "No escape… No escape… No escape…"

Suddenly, she was knocked to the ground, the breath forced out of her. Her vision cleared. It was Spyro! He had tackled her and pinned her down! She was in the Dragon Temple. It hadn't been real. None of it had been real!

"Are you okay, Cynder?" Spyro asked. Cynder took a breath to calm herself. The vision had left her shaken, scared. It had all seemed so real!

That's enough, she told herself. I need to put those thoughts out of my head. I will not break down, not here in front of Spyro. I refuse to let anyone see me like that, see me vulnerable.

She nodded uncertainly. "I'm fine. Good one."

"I got lucky," Spyro admitted. "I managed to catch you off guard at just the right moment. You'd have won easily otherwise. I guess I'm just not used to fighting without my powers."

"Without your powers?" Cynder asked, part of her glad to have something else to think about. "What happened to your powers?"

"You know how everyone says that the Purple Dragon is supposed to have mastery over all the elements? Well, I trained under the Guardians and managed to achieve that for a while. But after our battle at Convexity, it seems to have left me. I feel drained, unable to call upon them. I guess I became so reliant on them that it's difficult to get used to fighting without them now. I sure hope I'll figure out how because I'm not doing a very good job of it right now."

"I'm sure you will," Cynder said. "But more importantly, we need to figure out how to get them back. Have you told the Guardians?"

"I haven't," Spyro said miserably. "I don't want to trouble them any more than they already are. Have you noticed how they've been more apprehensive, more nervous lately? It's almost as if they're scared something's going to happen. I don't want to give them another thing to worry about."

"I try to tell myself that there's still hope-that tomorrow my powers will return and all this worrying will have been for nothing," he continued. "But every day I wake up to the same reality. I can't even summon a wisp of smoke, much less a blast of fire. How am I supposed to stand up to the Dark Master when I'm this weak?"

"Don't say that. You're not weak," Cynder told him. "Never let yourself believe that."

He gazed downcast at his claws. Cynder had never seen him so distressed. "I don't want to let them down. They're all counting on me and I'm scared that, when the time comes, I won't be able to do it. What if I fail?"

Cynder put a comforting claw on his. "Spyro, you're one of the strongest dragons I know. You'll find a way. You won't fail. You've managed to pull off miracles! Learning how to master the elements in such a short time, that's no small feat. You defeated me when I had years more combat experience and thwarted the Dark Master and you're just a dragonet! If you manage that then, you can definitely pull it off again."

"You're capable of amazing things," Cynder pressed. "You're just exhausted, that's all. You've been fighting the Dark Master nonstop since the day you found out what you really were. I've fought in battles before. I've seen what fatigue can do to troops who've been fighting for weeks on end. At first they seem drained of all life, all strength. They wander around like zombies for days. But they recover. They come back from it stronger. I know you will too."

Spyro looked uncertain. Looking into his eyes, Cynder briefly wondered what the world had come to that dragonets had to be forced to take up arms and fight in wars they had no part in. It must feel terrible for Spyro to have to shoulder such a huge burden alone.

But that was just it! He wasn't alone! "Listen, Spyro," she said. "You don't need to do this on your own. It's my fight too and I've got your back. I'll teach you as much as I know about claw-to-claw combat while we find a way to get your powers back. And we will find a way. I promise."

Spyro nodded, regaining his composure. He squared his shoulders, a look of confidence, of determination returning to his eyes. "Thanks, Cynder. So where do we start?"

"We'll start in due time. But first, I think you need a well-deserved time-out."

 **Later that day…**

It was dark when Cynder crept through the halls of the Dragon Temple. The day of sparring with Spyro had been tiring but fruitful-the Purple Dragon was making good progress. He had been exhausted by the end of it-for he had pushed himself hard-and was on the verge of passing out when Cynder had seen him off to his room. She was just as tired but there was still something she needed to settle. Stalking through the eerie shadows cast upon the floor and walls, she knocked on the door of the Fire Guardian's chambers. The heavy timber doors were opened with a creak and the familiar face of Ignitus emerged. The orange dragon looked weary, almost as if he had not slept for days.

"Cynder?" Ignitus asked, squinting through the darkness. The thought subconsciously occurred to her that while she could see the Fire Guardian perfectly, he wasn't able to see her as clearly. How very odd.

"Sorry if I woke you, Ignitus," she said. "But there are some things I need to speak with you about."

"Of course, young one," he said, understandingly. "Come in. I'd rather not wake the others with chatter in the hallway."

Cynder wasted no time. As soon as she had shut the doors behind her, she gave Ignitus the brief summary of the waking nightmares that had haunted her so consistently.

"Normally, I wouldn't be bothered by them," she told Ignitus. "But it's been the same thing over and over again. It can't be purely coincidence. Visions of an eclipse, a dark mountain, whispered words of Malefor's return."

Ignitus hissed at the mention of the Dark Master's name and the faint torchlight in the room flickered. "You're right, Cynder," Ignitus said. "I believe unnatural forces are at work here. What you've described aptly sums up what the other Guardians and I have been watching for."

"What do you mean?" Cynder asked. Then she remembered what Spyro had told her earlier; 'It's almost as if they're scared something's going to happen'. "Watching for what?"

"You see, every thousand years, the moons over this world align in a total eclipse known as the Night of Eternal Darkness," Ignitus said. "It is an ill occasion as the powers of darkness reign supreme for a time and beings of the netherworld are empowered, free to walk this world as if they were still alive. If the Dark Master's spirit has truly escaped Convexity, he would be bound to the underworld, unable to return to this world. But on the Night of Eternal Darkness, he could use the dark energies of the eclipse to leave the underworld and return in the flesh to plague this earth again. And such an eclipse is soon to be upon us."

"The Guardians and I have been watching for any signs of this," Ignitus said. "Terrador, Cyril and Volteer have been performing reconnaissance throughout the land, scouting for major troop movements or mobilisation. I have been scouring the land with more magical means-through the Pool of Visions." He indicated the small pool of water in the centre of the chamber.

"But of late, my vision has been obscured," he continued. "As if somebody is trying to hide something from my sight. I am by no means a master of scrying through the Pool of Visions but I believe, for something to keep the entire land from my sight, that it must be very powerful indeed."

"And you think it might be the Dark Master?"

"It can only be him, Cynder. No other dragon could possess the sorcerous might required for such a feat. Not only that but his return may actually be referenced in the Prophecy."

Oh yes. How could she have forgotten. Another Prophecy, just like the one that had ruined her life, this one foretelling the end of the Dark Master at Spyro's claws. "You're sure?" she asked Ignitus.

Ignitus reached for a scroll that lay on a stone desk. "See for yourself."

Cynder unfurled the old parchment and gazed intently at it. It read:

 _The land beset by war and death,_ _  
_ _And we fight to our final breath,_ _  
_ _Awaiting the coming of the chosen one,_ _  
_ _The end of dusk, the dawning sun._

 _But lo behold the cursed one's rise,_ _  
_ _An age of strife, a time of lies._ _  
_ _And all light vanishes from the sky,_ _  
_ _On the Eternal Night for his return is nigh._

 _And so the Dark Master's power unbound,_ _  
_ _His reign of evil taints all around._ _  
_ _But we hold the line and make our stand,_ _  
_ _For daylight soon falls upon the land._

 _So dawn's heralds boldly fly,_ _  
_ _Against the dark that fills the sky._ _  
_ _The power to wield to bring back the light,_ _  
_ _To end Malefor's reign and finish the fight._

 _Light's first champion of purple scale,_ _  
_ _And by his power the darkness will fail._ _  
_ _With his power comes Malefor's fall,_ _  
_ _For the elements themselves heed his call._

"Wait a moment," Cynder said, indicating what seemed like a scorch mark at the bottom of the scroll. "Is there a part missing here?"

"This scroll was in the Temple when the Dark Master's forces razed it," Ignitus said. "The scorch marks have been there ever since. I see no reason to think anything was under them. I don't like it but the Prophecy sounds clear enough; _on the Eternal Night for his return is nigh_."

Cynder nodded grimly. "Then you're going to like to hear this even less. Spyro's powers are gone. Spyro didn't want to bring it up because he didn't want to trouble you further but I need to know if there's a way I can help him. He can't go up against the Dark Master like this."

"I am aware of that," Ignitus said coolly. Cynder was taken aback.

"How-"

"The Guardians and I have been observing him during training," Ignitus said. "We are aware that the battle at Convexity took its toll on him. But even we are not sure how to act. Such a thing has never happened before. When a dragon gains mastery over an element, it normally stays with him the rest of his life. I believe Spyro still possesses his knowledge of the elements. He just lacks the strength to use it now."

"How can you be sure?" Cynder asked.

"I can't," Ignitus admitted. "But it's my best guess. I've always intended to try to look into his mind to see whether his powers still remain but events lately have kept my attention distracted and elsewhere."

"I could do it," Cynder offered. "Just tell me what to do."

"If only it were as simple as that, Cynder," Ignitus laughed sadly. "Mastery of clairvoyance takes years of study and practice to achieve. It took me decades to get the hang of it. No, I do not believe there is time."

"When I was under his control, Malefor endowed me with his knowledge of fighting by transferring his memories to me. Could you do something similar?"

"A memory transfer," Ignitus said thoughtfully. "Yes, perhaps it could be done. But I am not as adept as the Dark Master in communing with the minds of others. The understanding of clairvoyance I would grant you would be rudimentary at best. You would need to explore it further yourself to get to grips with it."

"Well, it's better than nothing," Cynder said. "And it'll give me something useful to do around here, it'll let me pull my own weight."

Ignitus' eyes softened. "Cynder, you need not feel that you are under any obligation to do anything. You're a child and you've been through much already. It would be unfair to expect anything more from you."

"And it's fair to expect another dragonet to save the world? When he's only my age? Look, I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not doing this because I feel I owe anyone. I just don't want to sit around feeling helpless. I spent enough years like that." But even that was just a half-truth. She hated having to see Spyro so weighed down by his prophesied destiny. And if there was any way she could help him, she would.

"You have fire in you, young dragon," Ignitus said approvingly. "I get the feeling your resolve will be indispensable in the dark days ahead."

"So where do we start?" Cynder asked, echoing Spyro's words to her earlier.

"Simply close your eyes, relax and open your mind," Ignitus said. "And allow me to do the rest."

 **Meanwhile…**

The Assassin gazed off into the horizon, his helmet tucked in the crook of his arm, the night breeze flitting gently through his fur. His thoughts were of Cynder. What had become of her after he had last seen her? Where was the dragon he'd raised as his own daughter? What would the dragons she'd fought against for so long do to her, now that she was at their mercy?

"Sir," an Ape said, rousing him from his reverie. "The Dreadwings have been loaded up. We're ready to take wing upon your command."

"Very good," he said, donning his helmet and mounting his Dreadwing's saddle. Raising his voice to a shout and holding his sword aloft, he called, "With me! Now we fly against the foe! Now we fly to victory!"

A war cry came up from the scores of mounted Apes assembled, each astride the back of a snarling, battle-hungry Dreadwing. As one, they took flight, an ever-shifting, ominous black cloud of beating wings and barbed blades that blotted out the sky.

With speed, the Assassin rode at their head-the harbinger of the storm that would strike the Dragon Temple, a storm that would bring death to his master's foes. And at the end of it all, he promised himself that he would bring his daughter home…

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well this marks the longest chapter in my FFN experience to date. The number of rewrites and edits I had to do was staggering. I hope you liked it even though it is rather longer than my usual chapters.**

 **And so in this chapter we see Cynder opening up to Spyro and growing closer to him during their sparring matches. Cynder's nightmares also take a turn for the worse, spilling over into visions that afflict her even when she's awake! Will Cynder be able to overcome the guilt and the ghosts of her past? Or will her mind be her greatest enemy of all?**

 **As if things couldn't possibly deteriorate from there, the prophesied Purple Dragon, the one foretold to defeat Malefor, loses his powers and is now plagued by uncertainty and doubt. How will Spyro ever stop the Dark Master? Will he be up to the task of fulfilling his destiny? Or will he fail and darkness consume the world?**

 **Malefor's forces are closing in. It is only a matter of time before the Assassin and his horde of Dreadwings arrive at the Temple. Can the dragons hold off an assault of such magnitude? Can they stop the malevolent tide that surges forth to take them, the torrent that threatens to sweep them away?**

 **But perhaps there still is hope. The two dragonets have learnt to draw strength from each other. Even now, Cynder does her best to try and help Spyro regain his lost powers while taking comfort in the fact that he refuses to hold her past faults against her. Whether this will be enough to save them, only time can tell.**

 **Anyway, I want to apologise for the sudden break in writing. As you all know I've recently joined my country's two-year compulsory military service and I've been off in camp most of the past month of January. This has left me with very little time to write or even use a computer to update anything.**

 **I made this chapter extra long to make up for the fact that I haven't posted for quite a while. Do tell me what you think of it! Here's hoping you enjoyed it! For those of you out there waiting for Cynder to return to Pyrrhia, don't worry it's coming soon-perhaps even in the next chapter!**

 **Also, I must ask you all to bear with me. The slow rate of updating is likely to persist for another month, perhaps longer, as I'm still with the military and they're still as strict as ever when it comes to free time. But I promise that I won't abandon my fics or my readers. Come hell or high water, I'll keep the updates coming-gradually as they may be. So I must ask for your patience and understanding. Thanks for all the support so far!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Paradise Lost  
**

She was in the SkyWing Arena again. The skies were overcast and the torches that ringed the arena cast sinister shadows that seemed to come to life just on the edge of her vision. They flickered and danced in the dying light, like writhing, jagged serpents. 

From the sandy floor of the arena, Cynder gazed up at the deserted stands. Only one seat was filled-her mother's and, indeed, Queen Scarlet was staring down at her, a look of longing in her eyes. 

Her mother seemed about to try to call out to her. But then everything went so wrong. A black-scaled figure emerged from behind Scarlet. It reared it's snakelike head, poised to strike. 

"Look out!" Cynder cried. 

Scarlet turned to face her attacker but it was too late! The creature opened its maw and spat forth a gout of sickly green fluid. The viscous liquid sprayed across Scarlet's face, even as she turned to avoid it. With a scream of agony, her mother tumbled lost her going and tumbled to the floor of the arena. 

Cynder ran to her side, crouching beside her and shaking her gingerly. Her body felt limp, lifeless in Cynder's claws. "No, no, no!" Cynder shouted, struggling to contain her panic, her fear. Her mother, the only family she knew, couldn't be dead! She rolled Scarlet onto her side to checkout r breathing. Relief flooded her as she realised her mother was breathing. She was, against all odds, still alive, if only barely. Her eyes wandered to Scarlet's face where the poison had landed. To her horror, the venom had burned away most of the scales, leaving her mother horribly scarred! 

But her attacker wasn't content with simply maiming the SkyWing Queen. With the grace of a predatory cat, Scarlet's assailant leapt down from the spectator's box, using its wings to slow its descent and land silently on the arena sands. It's eyes fell on Cynder and the defenseless form of her mother. It gave Cynder a cruel smirk as it stalked towards them to finish the job. 

Scarlet was the only family Cynder had left. There was no chance that she was going to let this thing take her mother away too. Cynder dropped to a crouch in front of Scarlet, her whole body tensed and poised like a spring to pounce. 

Her foe stopped a few feet away, circling and all the while keeping its malevolent gaze fixed on her. Cynder hated the waiting, the feeling that this thing was toying with her. But what she hated infinitely more, was the fact that she recognized her enemy. It was a face she longed with all her heart, with all her soul to forget, a being that she never wanted to call to mind again. And now it was standing here before her, a monument to all her sins. 

Her adversary was a ghastly caricature of a SkyWing. Its body was impossibly lithe and serpentine, almost as if it's skeleton had been stretched on a rack to resemble that of a snake, and it was clad in scales that glinted like obsidian in the dying light. Where all SkyWings possessed huge, majestic wings, this creature's wings were oversized and covered in ragged scars and gaping wounds. It's snout was elongated like a crocodile's and its eyes were ablaze with hate and malice. Its head was crowned with a set of gracefully-arched horns that ended in razor sharp points-as beautiful as they were lethal. 

Cynder glowered at the dark SkyWing. That was the beast Malefor had made her, the Terror of the Skies as she had been known to so many of the Dragon Realms' denizens. 

"Cynder!" the dark SkyWing said, a sneer upon her snout. "It's been too long." 

"Not long enough," Cynder retorted. "Now leave." 

"Why do you hate yourself so much?" 

"You're not me! I never wanted any part in this war! Malefor deceived me; he made me do all those horrible things!" 

"Perhaps," the dark SkyWing drawled, still prowling closer. "But can you honestly tell me that it never felt wrong to you? That, deep down, you never suspected our master's intents to be less-than-benevolent?" 

"Stop it. He's not my master." 

"And yet you never questioned," the dark SkyWing continued, ignoring her. "Obeyed his orders unhesitatingly even though you suspected there was a more sinister side to them. You could've resisted, you know. Just as you managed to break his hold over you in the end. But why didn't you?" 

"I tried," Cynder growled. "And I failed. He was too strong for me. What could I have done? What choice did I have?" 

"Oh Cynder, are you still trying to convince yourself of that? You and I both know it's not true," the dark SkyWing said. "No, I believe you did indeed enjoy the power you wielded in your claws. You were no longer a victim. And so, through your actions, I was birthed. We are not so different, you and I. Two edges of the same blade, two minds in the same body. The only difference is that I've chosen to accept what I've become. You're still running from it." 

Dozens of gruesome images replayed in her mind-all the atrocities she had perpetrated in Malefor's name; villages razed to the ground, their inhabitants all put to the sword, armies crushed, families shattered and torn apart… 

Cynder shut her eyes, willing it all to go away. But still the visions replayed over and over again, refusing to give her reprieve. 

And then the worst vision of all; the opening of Malefor's prison in Convexity-the one thing that had kept his spirit from returning to the Dragon Realms. And now he was poised to return, an unending darkness that would spread across the land corrupting and destroying all that it touched… 

"And it'll all be because of you, Cynder," the dark SkyWing gloated, her voice almost a purr. "Because of us. Our master's greatest triumph." 

"No. It wasn't me," Cynder said. But she no longer had the resolve to believe it anymore. What had she done? What if it was true? What if she really was evil? What if Malefor or this thing inside her took control? Would she end up betraying Spyro or the Guardians? Would the prophecy be brought to ruin because of her? 

"Why resist?" the dark SkyWing crowed. "The Dark Master offers limitless power-the power to command your own destiny, the power to be something more than you are now." 

She jerked a talon at the unconscious form of Scarlet. "Even the power to prevent that from ever coming to pass, to protect those you love." 

Cynder glared straight at her dark twin. Mustering all the strength she could, she defiantly shouted, "No! I won't go back there. Never again!" 

The dark SkyWing snarled. "So be it, Cynder," she spat. "But be warned, Malefor's arm is long. He can take away everything you care about in an instant." 

At those words, Scarlet began to dissolve, disappearing into wisps of shadow. At the last moment, Scarlet met her daughter's eyes. She seemed to try to reach out to Cynder, her talon stretching forth weakly. Cynder stepped forward to take it. But then she was gone… 

With a cry of anguish, Cynder lunged for the dark SkyWing, only to pass right through her as if she wasn't there. The whole arena was vanishing now, leaving Cynder standing in a bottomless void, as black as the Dark Master's heart… 

She tried to fly but her wings wouldn't work and instead, she found herself falling into the expanse below. The last thing she saw was the hateful face of the being she had once been. 

Then she was jolted awake, breathing hard. Her scales were drenched in a layer of cold sweat and she glanced around, panicked. The first light of morning was streaming in from the windows. There was no sign of the arena or any SkyWings for that matter. Another dream, she told herself. Just another blasted dream. 

But it had felt real; her deepest, darkest fears all come to life. And she could not help but shake the feeling that her mother was in danger. But not just her but Spyro and the Guardians too. 

She stood, gazing out of her window at the dark, starless skies. In a moment of clarity amidst the tumult of emotions, Cynder knew what she had to do. To make sure she could never betray Spyro, to ensure Malefor could never take control of her to thwart the Prophecy, to find out what had happened to her mother… She needed to leave this place, she needed to return to Pyrrhia… She needed to go home. 

Later that night... 

Cynder crept stealthily through the dark, empty hallways of the Dragon Temple. The others had gone to sleep hours ago-she'd waited to make sure that nobody would interfere. She put a claw against the small pouch hanging by her side to keep it still and quiet. 

She checked its contents to make sure everything was there-a hurriedly rolled up set of charts and sea maps so she wouldn't lose her way and a small number of multi-hued spirit gems. Experience had taught her how important spirit gems could be-capable of healing all kinds of wounds and ailments and restoring strength to even the most worn dragons. 

Though there'd been no doubt in her mind that she'd need as many as she could get, she had been careful to take only a clawfull from the Temple's supplies. She had the feeling that Spyro was going to need them as much as if not more than her soon enough. 

She tried not to think of Spyro. Cynder had initially been torn between leaving silently in the night or saying goodbye to him first. In the end, she'd decided on the former because she didn't know if she'd have the strength to leave if she saw Spyro again. 

He'd been kind to her and it made her feel terrible about leaving. They'd come so far over the past weeks: she'd even been close to helping him recover his powers with the telepathy that Ignitus had taught her. It felt wrong to abandon him now. 

But in the end, she knew she had to do it. She couldn't trust herself. If she really was evil deep down inside, she wouldn't let herself be in a position to betray Spyro. If somehow the Dark Master found a way to reassert control over her, it would do him no good-she would be nowhere near Spyro. 

Still it troubled her. What would he think when he woke up the next day, when he realised she was missing? Would he think she'd gone back to join Malefor? What if Spyro saw her now, sneaking like a thief in the night? What would he think of her then? His trust, which Cynder valued so very much, would be shattered. 

It was a necessary evil. Given the chance, Malefor would certainly use that trust against him, to kill him, or worse... 

Cynder wasn't about to let that happen, not while she was in a position to stop it. Filled with new determination, she set her shoulders and rounded a corner. 

But luck had a cruel sense of humour. Just as she reached the Temple balcony, a voice called out to her from behind. 

"Cynder? What're you doing?" 

Cynder twisted around to find Spyro standing right there, still sleepy-eyed and yawning. "Why're you up so late?" 

Before she could answer, the small glow hovering beside Spyro butted in, "Cause she's trying to betray us that's what! I knew we shouldn't have trusted her. Horrible, sneaky traitor!" 

Cynder glared at the glow who so happened to be Spyro's foster brother, Sparx the dragonfly. As insects came, this one was by far the most irritating one she'd ever had the indignity of knowing. Ever since he'd noticed her and Spyro growing closer, he'd seemed determined to do everything in his power to get in the way. 

"Cut it out, Sparx," she snapped. "I couldn't sleep so I was just going to get some fresh air," she lied. "Why are you two up?" 

"Sparx told me he'd seen you in the corridor so I thought I'd just go and check if you were okay," Spyro. Cynder smiled. That was nice of him. She was going to miss Spyro. 

"Against my advice!" Sparx yammered, ruining the moment. "I said good riddance to the evil black dragon but you wanted to follow her instead." 

"Evil?" Cynder snarled. "I've told you before, I'm not evil anymore! In fact, why were you spying on me anyway?" she demanded, turning the tables on Sparx. "Are you really so insecure?" 

"Well at least I'm not a traitor," he retorted. They glared at each other. He was either brave or foolish. Most beings she'd met would have cowered under her gaze but Sparx just stared back. 

For a moment, she was sorely tempted to simply blast him out of the air with shadow fire and watch the pompous bug burn to an insignificant ash pile. No! No, she told herself. I'm not like that anymore. I'm not going to kill him. I'm better than that. 

"Cynder's not a traitor," Spyro told Sparx, running a claw over his eyes wearily. "We've been through this before." 

"You're taking her side?" Sparx accused. "Over mine? Yep, she's done it now. She's hoodwinked you. But not me. I'm too smart for that!" 

"She's been helping me, Sparx," Spyro said. "If she really was an enemy, she had plenty of chances to betray us already. She's a friend, Sparx. We can trust her." 

"Maybe that's what she wants you to think!" 

"Shh, quiet, guys," Cynder said suddenly, her ears pricking up. "Do you hear that?" 

Indeed, there was a low rumbling sound. It sounded almost like thunder but it was persistent and Cynder had noticed no streaks of lightning prior to that. 

She peered out at the sky from the balcony. The night sky was obscured with dark clouds but was otherwise normal. Maybe the storm was far off. 

Then Cynder realised that the clouds were moving too fast. She looked closer and realised that they weren't clouds at all! A sense of dread settled upon her as she realised that she was staring at the largest swarm of Dreadwings she had ever seen in her life. 

There were so many of the bat winged creatures that the collective beating of their wings was like thunder rolling across the land. Not even the squadrons she had commanded were this numerous and those had been enough to crush entire armies. What hope then did they, two dragonets, four old dragons and a bug, have against the unending deluge of black wings, serrated talons and wicked blades that,even now, rushed to engulf them? 

None, Cynder thought grimly. But she wasn't about to go down without a fight. Steeling herself with the memories of a mother she'd likely never see again, Cynder prepared for battle. 

**Author's Note:  
**

 **Hey guys! Sorry to have to keep you waiting so long for an update! Juggling military life and writing has been a challenge for me but hopefully it'll get better from here on out. Thank you for all your support over the past two months! Your reviews and kind words have kept me going on more than one occasion when I would have simply given up otherwise and for that, I am infinitely grateful. I aim to keep the updates coming regularly from now on. This is where things get thrilling!**

 **Anyway, with regard to the chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it! It was actually meant to be split into two chapters initially but I decided I'd kept you guys waiting long enough so I'd speed up progress somewhat.  
**

 **As you might've noticed, Cynder's nightmares (or perhaps they're visions? I'm not confirming anything yet XD) are going to be a recurring theme in the story. It'll be interesting to see Cynder battle the enemies she'll face on her journey while also contending with her inner demons. So how did you find the chapter? Do you think Cynder will be able to survive the upcoming battle? Will she ever get to see her home again? Will either Prophecy be fulfilled?**

 **I dearly hope my writing standards haven't dropped in the time I've been away from the keyboard/a pencil and paper. I hope you guys had a great time reading this and I hope to have the next chapter written fairly soon!**

 **Till then, may your claws stay sharpand your fire burn bright! Thanks for reading!:D**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Going Home  
**

Cynder's talons slid smoothly out from between an Ape's ribs. The armoured corpse fell with a heavy clatter to join the other limp carcasses at her feet. She immediately took advantage of the brief reprieve to pounce on the unprotected back of the Ape who'd been fighting Spyro, digging her claws in and leaving him with several bloody, crisscrossing lacerations. Spyro quickly dispatched him after that. 

Cynder gazed around the Temple's interior wearily. That seemed to be that last of them. She slumped down against one of the walls, exhausted from over an hour of fighting. She'd never thought they'd hold out this long. Looks like her strategy was paying off after all. 

She'd commanded the Apes in battle before and she'd seen what a swarm of Dreadwing-mounted Apes could do. There was no way that she and Spyro would've been able to fight them out in the open. They would be inevitably surrounded, cut off and overwhelmed. 

They needed to funnel them into a choke point-any enclosed space where the Apes wouldn't be able to come at them all at once. So the moment she and Spyro had seen the oncoming swarm, they'd headed deeper into the narrow confines of the temple's corridors. 

Since then, they'd been fighting without pause as wave after wave of Apes moved in on them. So far, their numbers hadn't proved too overwhelming. The Apes had been further disadvantaged as they were forced to dismount. Their Dreadwings, while lethally agile in the air, were rather clumsy on the ground and thus weren't much use in the confines of the corridor. 

For now the fifth wave of attackers had been successfully repelled and the two dragonets could take a breather. The Guardians were holding the other corridors so the Apes couldn't come at them from behind. 

Cynder looked over the scores of bodies and discarded blades that littered the floor. How many Apes had they defeated? How many more were left? Cynder wanted to believe that they'd dealt the Apes a grievous blow-that their numbers were dwindling and that they'd leave. But she remembered the size of the swarm they'd seen. The chances of that were nonexistent. 

The heavy tread of boots interrupted her thoughts. Sure enough, in the doorway stood another squad of Ape soldiers. Cynder got to her feet and dropped into a low crouch. The Apes charged forward. 

She dodged a few clumsy strikes from their long swords before retaliating with her tailblade and claws. There lay another problem for her attackers. They were an air cavalry unit by the looks of things and they were all armed with long cavalry swords. The weapons were perfect when used from atop a speeding Dreadwing-their length and heft affording them reach and striking power-but to an infantryman, they were too long and cumbersome to be used effectively. These Apes weren't used to fighting while dismounted and their heavy, unwieldy weapons weren't exactly helping matters either. 

Cynder tumbled away from a desperate stab and cut the legs of the offending soldier from right under him. Several more Apes closed in, flailing wildly with their swords and keeping her back. She snapped at them and growled, looking for an opening. 

"Careful!" a gruff voice growled. "The Assassin wants her alive, you idiots! Get a scratch on her and he'll cut you to mincemeat himself!" 

The Assassin? He was here? A mixture of feelings courses through her. Most of it was anger and hurt that he'd let Malefor use her, turn her into a weapon. But there was also a slight longing to see him again-he was the closest thing she had to a father-and some concern for his safety too. And he wanted her alive? No. She couldn't, she wouldn't go back. She wouldn't let herself become Malefor's slave again. 

But it gave her an idea. If she was their target, maybe she could lead them away from the others. She might not be able to divert the entirety of the attack force but she could definitely draw away a good number of them. That way Spyro and the others might be able to fight off the rest. They might just have a chance at surviving this. 

Cynder spotted a gap in the Apes' defences and lunged, tearing one Ape's windpipe out with her claws. A well-timed stab with her tail pierced another's armour and left him with terrible internal bleeding and a punctured lung. Two more closed in on her and she vaulted over them. Twisting as she landed, her tailblade swept their feet from under them and she finished them off with two quick swipes with her claws. 

Spyro was still engaged with two other Apes on the far side of the corridor. Cynder moved to help him but hesitated. If he found out what she was planning, he'd undoubtedly try to stop her. This was her best chance-while he was distracted. Besides, he could take care of himself. Two Apes probably didn't even qualify as exercise for him. 

But what would happen when he found out? Would he think her a coward for running away, for abandoning him when he needed her? Would he ever forgive her? Would he think she'd betrayed them all? It didn't matter what he thought of her, Cynder decided. Spyro would live to see another day. And that's all she cared about. 

Goodbye, Spyro, she thought as she turned and headed the other way. Please don't hate me for this. She sprinted through the corridors and made a beeline for the Temple gates. The moment she could see daylight, she spread her wings and leapt skyward. 

She soared straight through the gates and right past the startled Apes on either side of it. She beat her wings to gain speed and altitude, rising high above the masses Apes. She paused momentarily so that all the gathered Apes could see her clearly. 

"Cynder!" the Assassin's shocked voice rang out above the rest of the din. He pushed through the throng of Ape soldiers to the fore, his eyes filled with genuine relief and concern. 

A pang of grief struck Cynder like a physical blow. Mutely, she raised a claw in greeting. 

"Come on, Cynder!" he called to her, his voice as sincere as the care in his eyes, his arm outstretched and imploring. "We're getting you out of here! Come home with us, Cynder." 

She wanted to trust him. In spite of everything, she wanted to believe him and go with him. But she had no idea how much he really knew. Malefor could've lied to him too. He could just be an unwitting pawn in Malefor's labyrinthine schemes-just like she had been. 

She shook her head. She couldn't take that chance. She smiled sadly at the Assassin. "It's been good to see you again," she said, her voice barely a choked whisper. "Goodbye, father." 

Then, the grief of not one but two farewells weighing down upon her, Cynder turned and flew as fast and hard as she could away, leaving the Assassin staring after her, dumbstruck, and several dozen Apes scrambling to their Dreadwings and taking off in hot pursuit. 

Later... 

"See! I told you so!" Sparx crowed triumphantly. He hovered by Spyro's side. The Purple Dragon was sitting by the heavily damaged gates of the Temple, staring at the devastation the attackers had wrought. The battle had been over for an hour now. All of a sudden, the Apes had just taken off and left. But that wasn't all, he had realised that Cynder was missing too. 

"She betrayed us," Sparx concluded. "She went willingly with those sorry sacks of scum. That's why they left as quick as they did! Good riddance I say! Never should've trusted her!" 

Spyro stayed silent. But as much as he hated to admit it, as much as he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, it seemed that Sparx was right. Why else would the Apes have withdrawn so suddenly? He had seen Cynder leave right in the middle of the fight, leaving him to fend off two Apes on his own. It seemed so plausible yet so unlike her at the same time. 

Now the Guardians were trying to find her using the Pool of Visions and other contacts throughout the Realms to attempt to locate her. But Spyro had a sinking feeling that he already knew where she was. "I can't believe it, Sparx. You might actually be right for once. I think Cynder's returned to the Dark Master."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, sorry it took so long but Cynder's finally returning to Pyrrhia! What will be in store for her when she arrives? Well here's a bit of a spoiler XD: she'll be meeting one of the Wings of Fire characters in the next chapter. Can you guess who it is :D?**

 **Also, some of you might notice that I've finally had some time to work on the cover art for this instalment of the story. So who, you may ask, is the mysterious figure beside Cynder? Is it her friend? Is it her foe? Who could he be? Well I plan to explain that eventually but for now I'll leave you guessing XD**

 **So let me know what you think of this chapter? Reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated! And thank you one and all for your patience in light of the slow pace of updating. May your claws stay sharp and your fire burn bright! See you soon with the next chapter:D**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Second Prophecy

"Cynder?"

Cynder's eyes flicked open at the sound of her name. She got to her feet, feeling strangely light-headed. She glanced around. A burning, ruined city stretched onwards for as far as she could see. There was no sign of anyone else. Of course there was nobody else. This was a city she had razed years ago following a month-long siege. She groaned. It was another damned dream.

The dark clouds overhead loosed their load and rain began pelting down like hail. If it was to be another nightmare, Cynder decided she might as well make herself comfortable. She picked out one of the less damaged buildings and ducked through the doorway. She sat down and miserably waited for whatever horrible vision this dream had in store for her.

"Cynder?" 

She spun to face whoever had called to her. A black-scaled dragon stood serenely in the doorway, as if waiting for her. 

Her first thoughts were of the serpentine black dragon who haunted her dreams-a manifestation of all the evil inside her, a reflection of all she had been while in Malefor's thrall. But this dragon seemed different. She was lithe but not as grotesquely snakelike as Cynder's 'evil twin' and her face bore no traces of cruelty or malice. 

"Who are you?" Cynder demanded, still suspicious. "Where am I and what's going on?" 

"Be at peace, Cynder," the black dragon said, her voice almost melodic. "My name is Farsight and I bear you no ill intent. Quite the opposite actually, I'm here to help." 

Cynder cracked up at that. She threw back her head and laughed long and hard. Farsight watched patiently, never once showing even the slightest sign of irritation.

"I'm sorry," Cynder said after the gales had subsided. "You have no idea how many people I've known who claim the exact same thing only to manipulate me into doing their dirty work. Go ahead and promise me a world without war or limitless power or whatever it is you had in mind, I'm not falling for that one again. I'm not even sure if you're real. You could just be a hallucination."

"Cynder, you have every right to be mistrustful," Farsight said. "I don't blame you. I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel being used like that your whole life. I'm so sorry that you've had to go through all this."

Cynder's mistrust was instantly replaced by guilt. "I've done terrible things," Cynder said, her eyes downcast. "I've tried to convince myself that I had no choice in it but it always comes back to haunt me. I knew what was happening and I didn't resist. He commanded me and I didn't even hesitate to obey. I don't understand. Deep down, I know I'm evil no matter how much I wish otherwise. Why would you feel sorry for me?"

"It wasn't you, Cynder. You might not believe it but it was indeed Malefor's influence that made you what you were. Malefor corrupts everything he touches. His power was what made evil come so naturally to you. Had you not been in his thrall, you would've done differently."

Cynder felt slightly better at Farsight's words. Maybe there still was good in her after all. Maybe there was a chance that she wasn't a total monster. "Alright, supposing I believe you," Cynder said. "You said you could help?"

Farsight smiled gently. "Yes, I can. So much has been kept from you. And yet to you falls the most important role in stopping the Dark Master." Cynder's eyes lit up at that.

"It's time someone told you the truth," Farsight continued. "You currently occupy the unenviable position of a dragon straddling two simultaneous prophecies. The fates of two worlds rest on your shoulders as these twin prophecies hurtle towards their cataclysmic conclusion. Any other dragon would've cracked under the weight of it all but you've held up fairly well so far. So first of all, congratulations." 

Cynder smiled. "Thanks, I guess. But I don't get it. I know I'm the Wings of Sky in the Dragonet Prophecy. But the other one is about Spyro. How am I involved in both of them?"

"I understand that Ignitus showed you the Prophecy of the Purple Dragon," Farsight said. "But what he and a lot of other dragons don't know is that the Prophecy of the Purple Dragon is incomplete."

"Incomplete?"

"Yes. The dragons of old realised that were the prophecy to fall into the wrong hands, the forces of evil might prevent it from coming to fruition. So they scorched out the last two paragraphs of all the copies of the prophecy in an effort to fool the Dark Master if he ever acquired it."

"So that's what the scorch marks on the scroll were!" Cynder exclaimed. "The last two parts of the prophecy!"

"Indeed," Farsight confirmed. "They hid the original, intact version of the prophecy and it eventually fell into my possession. And I have kept it for you." She produced a scroll from under her wing and offered it to Cynder.

Cynder accepted it and began scanned through it. It read:

The land beset by war and death,  
And we fight to our final breath,  
Awaiting the coming of the chosen one,  
The end of dusk, the dawning sun. 

But lo behold the cursed one's rise,  
An age of strife, a time of lies.  
And all light vanishes from the sky,  
On the eternal night for his return is nigh. 

And so the Dark Master's power unbound,  
His reign of evil taints all around.  
But we hold the line and make our stand,  
For daylight soon falls upon the land. 

So dawn's heralds boldly fly,  
Against the dark that fills the sky.  
The power to wield to bring back the light,  
To end Malefor's reign and finish the fight. 

Dawn's first champion of purple scale,  
And by his light the darkness will fail.  
With his power comes Malefor's fall,  
For the elements themselves heed his call. 

_Second a hatchling stolen on brightest night,  
The wings of sky obscured from sight.  
From shadow to free her no matter the cost,  
For without the black dragon the cause is lost._

_Malefor's bane is the chosen one,  
And by his own ilk will he be undone.  
The shadow defeated by the sun,  
Evil's strength at last overcome._

When she had finished, Farsight said, "See? It specifically refers to the 'black dragon' and the 'Wings of Sky'. When I first read it I believed it to be a mistake. But it's no mistake. You are both of those-the black dragon who is also the SkyWing of prophecy."

"But I have no idea what I'm supposed to do," Cynder said. "I left the Dragon Realms to get away from Malefor. Do I have to go back now?"

"No," Farsight replied. "At least not yet. The Dragonets of Destiny are gathered in Pyrrhia and the end of the war will soon follow. They need you, Cynder. They need you now."

"How will I find them?" Cynder asked.

"When you arrive in Pyrrhia, venture into the rainforest. They will be there. They will not trust you first but be completely honest with them. Tell them your whole tale. Only then will they believe you."

"Right, so how do I get there? For that matter, how did I get here? I remember leading the Apes away from the temple." She choked back a sob when she thought of Spyro and the Assassin and at how she'd had to so abruptly leave them behind. "But everything after is a blur."

"You headed for the sea between the Dragon Realms and Pyrrhia," Farsight explained. "You led your pursuers into a thunderstorm, hoping to lose them. You succeeded in that but you were hit by a freak wave that washed you under. You're currently clinging to a piece of driftwood to stay afloat. But you'll arrive safely."

Cynder's vision began to grow blurry. Farsight, the buildings, all of it began to flicker. She could hear the sound of rushing water.

"You're arriving at your destination," Farsight told her. "We've only got a few moments left. Cynder, before I go, I need to tell you something. Things won't be easy. But take heart that you'll have allies. You'll have friends you can count on."

Water was rushing in through the door now, flooding the room. Farsight began to fade away.

"Wait!" Cynder cried, trying to keep her head above the water. "Will I ever see you again?"

Farsight nodded. "I'll always be here to guide you along. Now go. You're needed elsewhere. Be safe, Cynder."

Then the water rose over Cynder's head and everything went dark.

 **Meanwhile...  
**

A lone dragon stood by the shore, a broken, mutilated corpse at its feet, gazing off into the distant, starless night sky and the thin slash of luminescent yellow that was the moon. An island of light that would soon be swallowed by the sea of darkness surrounding it. 

And once that happened, he would return to mortal flesh. Then he would begin his conquest anew. He would repay his centuries-long imprisonment in Convexity and all the other wrongs he had endured. 

"You would know how that feels," Malefor mused softly, the shadows that made up his body writhing and shifting in defiance of the moonlight. "For you too have been wronged. Your children were taken from you, your home too and finally your life. All through no fault of your own." 

"You have lived a thankless existence," he continued. "Your life was ruined by betrayal; your cruel queen, your traitorous allies, the false prophecy and finally, perhaps worst of all, your own daughter. But now I am here and I offer you justice." 

Impossibly, the lifeless corpse rocked to one side. 

"You will be my talon, my sword in Pyrrhia. You will be the instrument of my will. And in return, I promise you the revenge you so richly deserve." 

The corpse jolted, spasming and twitching horribly like some dying insect. 

Malefor's voice took on a commanding tone. "Awaken now. Wake from death. Arise Kestrel, my dark champion!" 

The corpse sprang to life, a dark fire in its dead eyes. Kestrel stood proud and tall, the death wounds Blister has inflicted shown proudly upon her twisted form. 

"The daughter of Scarlet returns home," Malefor said. "Find her and bring her to me." 

Kestrel regarded him briefly. Then she spoke. 

"It will be done, my Lord."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! It's been a while but I'm glad to announce I'm finally back! Finally, after much procrastination on my part, Cynder's arriving in Pyrrhia! This chapter sees her introduced to Farsight and told of the second prophecy. But how many of you noticed that she neglected to inform Cynder of the falseness of the Dragonet Prophecy? Why is that do you think? Can Farsight be trusted?**

 **And at the same time, the Dark Master makes his move from the shadows. A new enemy arises in the form of the undead Kestrel. Kestrel, once one of Scarlet's most ruthless, loyal soldiers is now resurrected in the service of Malefor and she will stop at nothing to see Cynder brought before Malefor, in chains if need be. Will Cynder be able to fight this new undead terror that Malefor has wrought?**

 **But perhaps not all is lost. Cynder is headed to meet the dragonets and together they might just stand a chance at ending the war in Pyrrhia in time to stop Malefor's dark plans. What's more, a new ally is set to make an appearance in the next chapter-a most unexpected one at that.**

 **So tell me what you thought of the chapter! It's really good to be writing again and I hope you guys are enjoying the story thus far! It's the least I could do after disappearing for so long!**

 **MCZ and Autumnleaves-Thanks so much for your continued understanding and support. You've both been of great encouragement to me to carry on whenever I feel too tired or down to write. It's really meant a lot to me. Hope you guys in particular liked this chapter.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 7: Meeting Pyro**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire, the Legend of Spyro or Team Fortress 2. I just love all three of them so much that I couldn't resist writing all about them.**

Cynder was awoken by the rhythmic crashing of waves against the shore. The recent happenings came back to her with surprising clarity; Farsight, the second prophecy and the fact that she'd been washed into the sea.

She opened her eyes groggily and then shut them promptly, momentarily blinded by the harsh glare of the setting sun. She tilted her head away and tried to get up. She couldn't.

She glanced down at the heavy iron shackles encircling her forearms and legs and around at the Ape soldiers and Dreadwings around her. She cursed. They must've caught up with her while she'd been out cold.

She lashed her bladed tail in frustration, managing to strike a soldier in the boot. The Ape yelped and fell back, clutching his foot and swearing. Another two soldiers dragged him out of her reach before she was able to do any more permanent damage.

Another Ape grasped her roughly by her horns and yanked her head back, staying carefully out of reach of her tailblade. His bulk and finely-wrought plate armour told Cynder he was at least a squadron leader if not a full-fledged commander and not a foe to be underestimated. "Listen, you blasted dragon," he growled. "I lost a lot of good Apes tracking you down through that storm. My orders are to take you back to King Gaul alive but if you try anything, even look at one of my Apes wrong, and I'll be the first one to put a sword through you. You got that?"

Cynder chuckled cynically. "I bet you wouldn't be talking so tough if I didn't have these chains on," she said mockingly. "Is the big, strong Ape so afraid of the little dragon?"

The Ape struck her across the face with a hard backhand slap. "Shut up, traitor," he snarled. "I'm not falling for that. Do I look stupid?" To his soldiers, he said, "Lash her to a Dreadwing. If she tries anything funny, drop her into the ocean. It'll be fun to see how well a dragon swims when she's clapped in irons."

As the Apes seized her and began dragging her, she spat, "How many?"

"What did you say?" the Ape Commander growled, turning.

"How many Apes did you lose?" Cynder asked with a cruel smirk. She glanced around. "If the numbers here are any indication, I'd say at least twenty."

"How dare you," the Commander snapped. "You filthy bloody traitor." He walked up to her, fist raised to strike her again. The blow came like a sledgehammer and Cynder was knocked sideways, in a daze.

"You know," the Commander continued. "King Gaul only said to bring you back alive. You reckon beaten within an inch of your life counts?"

Cynder didn't bother answering. She just glared defiantly back at him, challenging him to try. The large Ape's fist went up. And she didn't even flinch.

But the blow never came.

"Huh?" the Ape grunted, glancing over his shoulder at the gloved hand that had caught his arm. The next thing Cynder knew, there was a long-handled axe sticking out of his shoulder! Had someone somehow come to rescue her? Had Spyro followed her? Even more strangely, what would he be doing with an axe?!

The Ape bellowed in pain and stumbled away, clutching at his wounded shoulder and Cynder got a better look at his attacker. It wasn't Spyro. It wasn't even a dragon. Instead it was the strangest thing she'd seen all her life. And in a life full of strange happenings, that was quite something.

It looked like an Ape in that it had two arms, two legs and a head but stood a full head shorter than the massive Ape Commander and was covered from head to toe in some kind of baggy crimson bodysuit. Its face was obscured by a black, bug-eyed mask that ended in some kind of metal snout and it wore a bulky yellow cylinder on its back. In one of its gloved hands it held the axe that had been used to wound the Commander and in the other it clutched a strange long-barrelled thing that vaguely reminded Cynder of the industrial chimneys of the Dark Master's weapons forges.

"What the hell?" the Ape Commander swore. "Blasted human mongrel! Kill it! Hack it to bits! Make it suffer!"

So that's what a human looks like, Cynder realised as all ten Ape soldiers rushed at him, blades and spears raised and war-cries issuing forth. Her heart sank. Well it wasn't Spyro but at least it was a distraction. She quickly began trying to slip free of the manacles.

In response to the charging, roaring Apes, the human simply tilted his head to one side quizzically almost as if amused.

What's he doing, Cynder wondered. He'll be killed! "Run, you fool!" she shouted at the human.

The human waved at her merrily, not making a sound. It casually put away its axe and hefted the pipe-thing so that it was levelled at the oncoming Apes like a spear.

Cynder wanted to look away. The brave, foolish human. Apes weren't the best warriors in the world but hardly anyone could fight outnumbered ten-to-one. He won't even know what hit him, Cynder thought. At least he'll die happy. Which is more than I can say for myself, she decided, still stuck in the shackles. When they were done with him, they'll come right back for her. Her chances of escape had just gone from slim to nil.

The Apes closed in for the kill. To his credit, the human didn't even look away from his inevitable doom.

All of a sudden, the pipe thing coughed and sputtered momentarily and sparks flew out from its barrel. Then, a vast jet of flaming fuel blasted forth from the pipe, engulfing the Apes in a firestorm.

Arrogance turned to horror as the Apes, so sure of their victory, were suddenly inundated in a sea of flames. Their charge came to a literal screeching halt as they ran in all directions, screaming and swatting at the flames in a desperate attempt to put them out. The Dreadwings saw the danger and immediately tried to take off.

But the human was merciless and he hefted the firebreather to spray the entire area with blazing fuel. The Dreadwings were doused with burning liquid as they tried to make a run for it while the Apes vainly tried to escape as the flames rose higher and higher. The human kept up a constant stream of flaming fuel, leaving his victims in a virtual inferno. Then, with horrifying finality, they expired, their charred, blackened carcasses falling to the ground like so many limp puppets.

The Ape Commander stood speechless for a moment, staring in disbelief as ten fully-armed and armoured Apes and their mounts quite literally went up in flames. Then, he made a dash for his own Dreadwing a few feet away.

The human pulled out a short-barrelled device and lined up the Dreadwing in his sights. There was a loud crack like a miniature thunderclap and suddenly the Dreadwing's wing was perforated with dozens of small holes. The Dreadwing screeched as the human fired again and again, ripping its wings to bloody, torn shreds in seconds.

Finally, the human finished off the Dreadwing with a shot to the head and its lifeless corpse fell over. He wasted no time in catching up to the Commander and dousing him in burning liquid from his firebreather. Against any other blow, the Commander's armour might've saved him from harm. But against the human's firebreather, it just ensured a slow, lingering death as he was cooked inside his armour. And still the human kept the fire on him.

With a piercing shriek, the burning body finally fell and the human turned to face Cynder. Having just witnessed the Apes' cruel deaths, Cynder was now officially terrified. She tried to back away as the human advanced on her, firebreather at the ready.

I never thought it would end like this, Cynder thought. Any other death seemed pleasant in comparison. Sorry, Farsight. Looks like you were wrong about that Second Prophecy. She shut her eyes and looked away as the human raised his axe.

There was a 'woosh' sound and the chains fell away. She opened one eye, wondering what had just happened and was just in time to see the human cutting away the chains around her ankles.

She barely had time to wonder what was going on when the human tackled her with a hug.

"What the-" she breathed as his inhumanly strong grip briefly cut off the flow of air to her lungs. She coughed and sputtered for a bit until the human let go of her, his bug-eyed mask meeting her gaze.

"Who are you?" Cynder asked, rubbing her sore neck. Silly question, she decided. He probably didn't even speak the same language. Instead of trying to ask anything else, she tried to reach out to his mind like Ignitus had taught her.

She recoiled almost instantly, her own head spinning. The human's mind was a mess-comparable to a roiling storm of thoughts and dreams. He was completely, unerringly, unequivocally insane. Through his madness, only one name had been clear enough to decipher.

"Pyro," she said. "Is that your name?"

The human nodded happily, his head bobbing up and down.

"Well Pyro it is then," Cynder remarked. He may be mad but at least he's on my side, she thought.

It had gotten dark by now and the only light came from the still-burning carcasses on the beach. Pyro was already making himself comfortable by one of the fires, warming his gloved hands.

I guess I'll just call it a day then, Cynder thought. She glanced at the rainforest further inland. Plenty of time to explore it tomorrow morning. And so she lay down by the fire, warming herself in its heat and trying to ignore the fact that it was made up of burning Ape corpses.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Enter the Pyro. As you might've guessed, Pyro's going to be Cynder's travelling companion from here on out. He's not a normal kind of scavenger as evidenced by his unnaturally friendly tendencies towards Cynder and he's far from being the good guy. But at least he's not the bad guy either. For those of you who don't know, Pyro's from a video game called Team Fortress 2 which I used to play. If you want to find out more, I'd recommend checking out 'Meet the Pyro' on YouTube to find out what the world looks like from his eyes/goggles. And don't worry, I've got a** _ **perfectly believable**_ **explanation of how he got to Pyrrhia XDXDXD**

 **So tell me how you found this chapter! It's been a part I've been itching to write for a while now as it levels the playing field somewhat. I mean, since Malefor's getting an undead Kestrel, isn't it only fair to give Cynder an ally of her own (even if he is a bit of a pyromaniac)? And see you soon for the next part XDXDXD**

 **MCZ-That's a plausible explanation. But there may be more to it XD As for Kestrel, we'll certainly see. I might be publishing some more in-depth work about her soon XD**

 **Jayfeathers-Oh please not Whirlpool… If he somehow managed to survive the electric eel treatment, I might even have Pyro set him on fire or something… Don't worry, either way, Whirlpool is as good as dead! XD**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 8: The Dragonets of Destiny**

Cynder rubbed her still-pounding head as she got to her feet. The attack had been so sudden, she hadn't even realized what was happening until it had been too late. Even now her body was still recovering from the effects of the drugged darts.

Her mysterious assailants were still there, hiding in the trees just beyond the beach. Cynder couldn't see them but she could hear them, whispering and chattering. Somehow they had been able to camouflage themselves so well that, even knowing their general location, she still couldn't see them.

They would've been able to nab her too had it not been for Pyro. The plucky little scavenger had ducked out from under her wing and treated her invisible enemies to a literal wall of fire when they had tried to come get her. They'd quickly run back to their hiding spots in the trees before Pyro could get off a better shot.

"Thanks, Pyro," she said. "That's two I owe you."

Pyro nodded happily and pointed at the trees. There was a buzz of activity and movement amid the rustling vegetation. Out from the foliage emerged the strangest collection of dragons she'd seen in this land thus far.

"And you must be the Dragonets of Destiny I've heard so much about," Cynder remarked to the dragons who were cautiously keeping their distance from her. Truly, in a land ravaged by inter-tribal war, they were a strange sight. After all, where else could one find a SeaWing, a MudWing, a SandWing, a RainWing and a NightWing trying to do something other than killing each other?

"I honestly thought it'd be harder to find you," she mused. "Today must be my lucky day."

"Oh shut up, spy!" the SeaWing growled. "Why did Morrowseer send you? What's that snake up to this time?"

"And what've they done with Deathbringer?" the RainWing demanded.

Cynder stared back at them perplexedly. Morrowseer? Deathbringer? Those names meant nothing to her. Why would they think she'd know anything about them?

The NightWing spoke up. "Guys, I don't think threats and demands are going to get us very far here. Maybe the situation calls for a bit more diplomacy. Why don't you let me try talking to her?"

The SeaWing rolled her eyes. "Diplomacy? Starflight, are you for real? You saw what the NightWings did to Glory. They're not interested in talking!"

The RainWing's eyes narrowed at the mention of that. Glory and Starflight, Cynder noted. The RainWing and the NightWing.

"That may be the case but it wouldn't hurt to try," Starflight persisted.

"Just let him try Tsunami," Glory said, her tone stony. "But after this, we do things our way."

The other dragons retreated slightly while Starflight turned to Cynder.

"I'm going to come a little closer," he told her. "So please tell your scavenger that I'm not trying to hurt you. I just want to talk."

"Stand down, Pyro," Cynder said. "I can handle myself now."

The human slumped slightly and began to trudge away.

"Though keep your firebreather handy," she added, just loud enough for the other dragons to hear. "In case either he or his friends get any funny ideas."

Pyro bobbed up and down merrily at that, bringing his weapon to bear threateningly and Starflight blanched a little.

"So you wanted to talk?" Cynder asked him pointedly.

Starflight glanced conspiratorially over his shoulder. "Alright, we should be out of earshot of the others. So if you've got any secret messages that you need to deliver, go right ahead. You can be completely honest with me," he said.

Cynder just looked at him blankly.

He must've mistook her silence for hesitation and so he went on trying to coax it out of her, "Look, I'm a NightWing just like you. We're both on the same side. I think there's just some major misunderstanding going on between our tribe and the RainWings and the sooner you tell me something, the sooner we can sort it all out. So what did Morrowseer want you to do? Spy on them or something?"

"Okay, first off, who in three moons is Morrowseer?" Cynder asked perplexedly. "He seems to be coming up a lot. And secondly, sorry to disappoint you but I'm not a NightWing."

This time it was Starflight's turn to look blankly at her. "Wait, so you're not from the Night Kingdom?"

Cynder shook her head.

"And you're not a NightWing?"

Cynder shook her head again.

"Then what are you? Why do you have-"

"What? Jet black scales? It's a _really_ long story," she replied. Understatement of the century. "I'll explain everything. But what matters is that I'm here to help you guys with your prophecy. You may want to go get your friends. I think they'll want to hear what I've got to say too."

Starflight studied her carefully. "Well alright then," he said. "Just wait here."

He hurried off to the other dragonets. They spoke in hushed tones and Cynder could hear angry muttering and arguing.

It occurred to her then that what she was about to tell them would sound, to most dragons of this land, outlandish to the point of lunacy. Maybe she should leave out some things, maybe even give them a totally different story so they'd believe her. But then she remembered what Farsight had said about being completely honest with them. I hope you know what you're talking about, Cynder thought as the five dragonets came forward.

"Okay, I've managed to persuade them to listen," Starflight told her. "But they're not exactly very trusting. You're going to have to make it convincing."

Cynder wasted no time. "I'll get straight to the point in that case," she said. "Remember the SkyWing dragonet Burn killed on the night you hatched? Well, as hard as it may be to believe it, I'm that dragon. I'm the Wings of Sky."

Tsunami burst into raucous laughter the moment she finished.

"That has got to be either the best joke I've heard all day or the worst cover story of all time," the SeaWing crowed. "Please, do go on. Tell us, how did you survive the most vicious of the SandWing sisters?"

The other dragonets were looking at her dubiously now. Even Starflight, who'd been willing to hear her out, was beginning to show some traces of doubt.

Cynder stifled a snarl of annoyance. If she wanted to convince them of anything, if she was going to win them over, she was going to need to be patient.

"Please," she said. "Before you jump to any conclusions, just hear me out."

The SeaWing bit back a snide retort and the others looked on expectantly.

Cynder took a breath to calm herself. "The night Burn tried to kill me would have been my last," she began. "But as it turns out, somebody was watching. And as I lay dying, that somebody found me. He was called the Assassin. He wasn't a dragon but an Ape from a distant land. I don't know what he was doing in Pyrrhia but he took me back to his master, an evil dragon named Malefor."

A chilling breeze flitted lightly through the trees and the leaves rustled at the Dark Master's name. I'm not scared of you, Cynder thought. Now leave me alone.

"With his dark sorcery, the Dark Master healed me," she said. "But it left a taint on my body, on my soul. And so I no longer even vaguely resemble a SkyWing. But he didn't save me out of generosity. You see, Malefor was at war with the other dragons of his land. His soul was trapped in another world and so he couldn't command his armies personally. He needed a champion. And he needed someone, a dragon, to free him. He needed me."

"He corrupted me, he deceived me, fed me lies so that I believed he was peacemaker, not warmonger. He warped my mind so that he appeared to be fighting for the good in this world when all along he was the very evil that plagued it. He trained me to wage war and to wield black magic and then he set me loose upon his enemies to crush them and to find a way to free his soul and unleash him upon the world."

"He might've succeeded had it not been for a brave few," Cynder said, steeling herself as she remembered the dragon she'd left behind. "Somehow, even with their armies scattered and their cities in ruins, they managed to find the strength to fight back. And just in time too. At the very last second, Malefor was foiled and they managed to save me from an eternity of being his dark pawn."

"I've done horrible things," Cynder told them. "I was raised to be a weapon that Malefor used to sow darkness, death and destruction. He lied to me, he manipulated me. And the worst part was that I believed every word of it. And now here I am, trying to make up for what I've done, trying to do what little I can to set things right."

The other dragons stared at her, almost as if unsure what to say. Then Tsunami spoke up.

"You need to go back to spy school, NightWing," the SeaWing remarked. "Because that was the most ridiculous tale I've ever heard!"

"Tsunami, stop," Starflight said. "It's highly implausible but I think she just might be telling the truth. Look at her. Look how huge her wings are in comparison to her body. You wouldn't see that on a NightWing."

"And how would you know?" Tsunami demanded. "Apart from Morrowseer, how many other NightWings have you seen up close? You can't seriously be telling me you believe her! Evil dragons, wars in lands we've never even heard of and magic for three moons' sake? Come on Starflight, you're supposed to be the smart one here!"

Starflight backed off, chastised. He gave Cynder a helpless look as if he wanted to believe her but he just couldn't bring himself to.

"I don't know what to think about all that," the SandWing piped up in a small voice. "But she sounds so sad."

To Cynder, she said, "I'm sorry all of that happened to you. We've gone through tough times too so don't worry, you're not alone." The SandWing gave her a small smile of encouragement.

"Thanks," Cynder breathed. "You don't know how long I've thought myself alone."

"Oh come on, Sunny," Tsunami growled. "Not you too!"

"Hey, you didn't need to snap at her," Starflight butted in.

"Starflight, back off!"

The two of them started arguing while Sunny stepped away, taken aback. The MudWing was trying futilely to talk sense into them but they ignored him for the most part. Glory, on the other talon, just stayed out of it, instead scrutinising Cynder carefully.

Cynder had no idea what to do. She'd been honest. She'd told them the whole truth. And yet they still didn't believe her. What more could she do to convince them? What more could she say to convince Tsunami? The SeaWing seemed determined not to believe her no matter what she said.

The dark voice in Cynder's mind spoke. _'Oh Cynder,'_ it crowed. _'I know how you feel. It's terrible. Your mother, Spyro and everybody else you care about could all be in danger right now! And there's not a thing in the world you can do about it! All because this SeaWing wants to play the devil's advocate!'_

' _Do you remember, Cynder?'_ it continued. _'Do you remember when you wielded power beyond measure? You were the right claw of the Dark Master.'_

' _Stop it,'_ Cynder thought. _'Leave me alone.'_

But the voice ignored her. _'None could stand in your way! Nothing and nobody could get between you and whatever you wanted! And look at you now; helpless. It's tragic really.'_

' _Shut up.'_

' _All because you choose to hold back. The power lies within you. But you're too scared to use it. Why are you afraid? You were powerful once, Cynder. And so you can be again.'_

' _No! I won't give in. I won't go back there…'_

' _Why? Because you're afraid you'll lose control? Cynder, you must! Destroy this interloper! You're so close. You can't let her stop you now!'_

' _No! I'm not evil! I won't do it. I'm not evil!'_ But it sounded more like a plea than a conviction.

' _You're right,'_ the voice said. _'You're not evil… You're just a coward. And everyone you care about will be damned by your cowardice.'_

Finally, her pent-up frustration reaching breaking point, her patience tried to its very limit, something in Cynder snapped.

"ENOUGH!" Cynder roared. The shadows all around her suddenly sprang forth into hideous life, surrounding, enshrouding her with a writhing, cascading cloak of billowing, impenetrable darkness. For a moment, Cynder felt the immense power that she had wielded as Malefor's lieutenant, for a moment, she was invincible! The skies themselves turned black as if paying homage to her, the Queen of Darkness…

And then she saw the terrified dragonets. Triumph turned to shame and elation turned to remorse. The shadows around her died down and returned to inactivity and the skies cleared.

"No," Cynder breathed. "I didn't mean to…"

"You were telling the truth," Tsunami murmured, cutting her off. "I don't believe it… You were telling the truth…"

"So that was magic…" Starflight muttered. "I never imagined… Never thought it could possibly exist…"

"The SkyWing dragonet lives after all," Glory said quietly. "And now you are five."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, so sorry you've all had to wait this long for this chapter! But the wait is over! Cynder finally meets the Dragonets of Destiny! I must say it was a very entertaining chapter to write! Trying to nail the personalities of the various dragonets… Already I had my hands quite full with Tsunami's stubbornness and suspicion XD I really hope I got them right XD**

 **But as you can see, they haven't quite got off on the right note. And even now that they are convinced of Cynder's tale, it remains to be seen how they react. Will Glory resent her for taking her place? Will Starflight be able to overcome his surprise at her strange, unnatural abilities? Will Tsunami trust such a dangerous dragon with the safety of her friends? And what will happen when they find out who Cynder's mother is?**

 **To clarify, this takes place during the Hidden Kingdom, after Glory escapes from the Night Kingdom and becomes Queen. So let me know what you thought? Hope my illness doesn't compromise the quality of my writing (yes, the only reason I'm able to write now is because I've been sick for the past few days so I've been able to focus on the story a bit more than usual XD)**

 **MCZ-Heheh, thanks XD Your support as always is much appreciated XD**

 **jayfeathers-Well at the end of the day, I can't possibly please everybody. But I will say that Pyro was introduced to give Cynder someone to relate to (as well as provide some comic relief amid all the grimdarkness). It's up to you whether you choose to continue reading but whatever you pick, I won't stop you but I will wish you all the best. And yes, don't worry, Whirlpool won't be coming into the picture. At least I hope not;)**

 **kitty-Fabulosity abounds!:)**

 **figokhoo &guest of 10** **th** **July-there you go XD Hope you enjoyed it!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Shadows of Guilt  
**

In the time that followed her meeting with the other Dragonets of Destiny, Cynder had been allowed into the hidden RainWing village. She quickly made herself scarce for the unintentional display of her dark powers had clearly rattled the dragonets. She tried to keep to the shadows, observing the dragons around her and staying out of their way. They might've let her in but it did not mean she was welcome here.

It didn't last very long though. Glory, having found brief respite from her duties, spotted the dark SkyWing, her pet scavenger clinging to her neck like a scarf, and decided that it was about time somebody brought her into the fold.

"Cynder!" Glory called. Arguing hadn't done much so perhaps Starflight was right just this once; perhaps a more diplomatic approach was in order. "Do you have a moment?"

"Sure," Cynder replied and she winged her way up to where Glory was perched.

"In here please," Glory said, gesturing to her small hut.

The two of them ducked through the doorway and Glory shut the door.

"I apologise for the rather cold reception the others gave you," Glory said. "But we can't go around trusting just everybody in these troubled times, I'm sure you can understand."

Cynder nodded, setting Pyro down. After what Malefor had done to her, she knew where these dragonets were coming from.

"But once you win their trust, they're as loyal as anyone gets," Glory told her reassuringly. "Which is also the reason I asked you over. Now, from my assessment you've got Sunny and, by extension, Starflight on your side though I can see they're both rather frightened after what happened on the beach. Clay's a nice enough guy, so I'm sure he'll come around eventually. But Tsunami is where the real challenge lies."

"I've known her my whole life," she continued. "Even though she's been proven wrong about you being a spy she's going to be stubborn about it. Her pride's been hurt so you're going to have to make the first move if you want any peace."

"But what about you?" Cynder asked. "I'm surprised you're even willing to talk to me given how everything turned out just now."

"In the not-so-distant past, I might've been more unreasonable about it," Glory agreed with a shrug. "But now I believe that the sooner the prophecy is fulfilled, the better for everybody, including my tribe." She kept it deliberately vague. Cynder didn't need to know her innermost thoughts and feelings or the personal struggle that she'd gone through to get to this point. Glory knew her place wasn't in the prophecy and she had since come to terms with it. She had a tribe to lead now and any resentment she might've previously harbored about being simply a placeholder for the prophesied SkyWing was gone now and in its place was a new purpose.

"Now," she said, snapping out of her reverie. "You mentioned you've had fighting experience. I think I might have a job for you; I need you to work with Tsunami and get the RainWings into shape. This tribe has been largely left out of the war so far but I'm not counting on that to last very long. Plus it'll give you and Tsunami some common ground. You think you can do that?"

Cynder pushed away the gruesome images and guilt of the wars she'd waged in the Dragon Realms. This was her chance to prove her worth to the dragonets. She wasn't going to waste it by showing hesitation or weakness. She looked Glory straight in the eyes and said, "Where do I start?"

Glory laughed, partly pleased by Cynder's determination and partly relieved that it had gone so smoothly. That had been a lot less painful than she'd expected.

"First," she said. "I've got to disentangle my sloth from your scavenger. I'm not sure if he knows that firebreather isn't a toy."

 **Later…**

Cynder hurried after Glory to where Tsunami stood, shouting fruitlessly at a lethargic-looking group of RainWings.

"The sun is out," one of the RainWings was complaining. "If we keep going we'll miss our sun time."

The sentiment was echoed by the other RainWings who all gazed expectantly at Tsunami.

"Alright, fine," Tsunami growled. "You can go take a nap. But after that you're going to continue and this time there'll be no more interruptions. Is that clear?"

There was general assent as the RainWings mumbled their affirmations.

Tsunami sighed despairingly and said, "Dismissed."

The RainWings scattered and made for the numerous hammocks suspended among the trees. Tsunami turned to Glory and said, "It's hopeless. I can't-"

She might've said more but she caught sight of Cynder. "What's she doing here?" she demanded.

"I've asked her to come help you train the RainWings. You look like you could use some help," Glory said coolly.

"You saw what she did back there!" Tsunami said. "And you still trust her?"

"All I saw on the beach is that Cynder's neither a NightWing nor a spy. Quite the opposite, her supernatural powers might just give us a valuable advantage. And right now I'm quite happy to accept whatever help we can get."

Tsunami started to protest again but Glory cut her off. "Seeing as how the RainWings are all off to their hammocks, I think you'd best bring Cynder up to speed while you have a breather. I have a feeling you two are going to have your claws quite full when they come back. Now if you'd excuse me, I've got things to do and dragons to see." She spread her wings and leapt into the air.

"Who died and made you Queen anyway," Tsunami groused after her.

"Nobody did!" Glory called back cheerfully. "RainWing succession is non-violent, remember?"

Tsunami muttered something about it not being what she meant. Cynder remembered what Glory had told her about making the first move. She took a deep breath, momentarily forgetting about pride, and said, "Tsunami, I'm sorry I spooked you and everybody else on the beach back there. I lost control and it was my fault, really."

Tsunami's gaze softened fractionally. "Well, you're no NightWing spy," she said finally. "So I suppose you're not that bad after all. I'll give you the brief walkthrough of all that's happened so far."

And without further ado, the SeaWing began the tale that started in the cave under the mountains and how they'd tried to escape but had been discovered by Queen Scarlet. Tsunami spat the name with such spite that she actually noticed Cynder wince slightly.

She spoke of the arena, that unnatural, hateful place where so many had met their ends. She talked of how they'd been made to fight for the SkyWing Queen's twisted amusement. She told Cynder about Peril, the Queen's champion, who'd fallen head-over-heels for the apparently-fireproof Clay. Several times throughout her tale, she saw what seemed to be recognition in Cynder's eyes but the SkyWing politely kept from interrupting.

Finally, she got to the hardest part of her tale.

"There was another prisoner," Tsunami said, steeling herself inside. "Another SeaWing. He'd tried to start a prison revolt before we'd arrived. Scarlet being the sadistic wretch she was, punished him by depriving him from water for months." A SeaWing without water. Truly there was no worse torment she could've employed.

"When they brought him out to fight he was mad and dying from thirst," Tsunami continued. "He was like a cornered animal, wild and desperate. I killed him... I had no choice..."

Her voice trailed off. Cynder saw how devastated the SeaWing looked and decided now was the time to speak up. "Tsunami, you did the right thing. You ended his suffering. There was nothing else you could've done. If you hadn't fought, he'd have killed you too."

"But that wasn't it," Tsunami murmured. "There was more. His name was Gill. And he… he was my father."

"I only found out about it afterwards. And by then it was too late." Tsunami's face was wracked with guilt and sorrow and her choked voice spoke volumes more than her words alone of her grief and regret.

"Tell me, Cynder," Tsunami said, her voice wavering. "You said you've done terrible things in the past. Are any of them as bad as this?"

Why am I telling her all this, she wondered. A dragon I barely know, a dragon I wouldn't even trust a while ago. Why is it so easy to tell her? Is it because I don't know her, that I don't care what she thinks of me?

"Tsunami," Cynder began, shaking her head. "I can't possibly imagine how it must've felt, how it must feel now. But what you did..." Her voice trailed off as she sought desperately for the right words.

Tsunami's expression hardened as she waited for the verdict that was sure to be handed down. Who was Cynder to judge her?

Cynder finally said, "Tsunami, there was no way you could've known he was your father. It's not your fault. You said it yourself-you had no choice. He was suffering and he would've died one way or the other. You just made the end quicker, easier for him."

"I still killed him, Cynder. I still killed my own father."

"You didn't know it was him!"

"That's no excuse," Tsunami snapped. "So what if it had been some other dragon? Does it mean I should be free of this guilt? That it doesn't matter that my talons are covered with blood, so long as it's not my family's?"

"Tsunami, I'm not saying that!" Cynder exclaimed. "I'm saying that you had no choice but to do it. It's choosing to that makes you a monster."

"I've fought battles, vanquished armies, razed fortresses," she continued. "Every time there were enemies who'd surrender, hoping to be spared, hoping for mercy. But Malefor had none. I watched him kill for the sake of death, never sparing a soul even if he could."

Remembering Farsight's words to her, she said, "I'm not proud of the things I've done. And I don't think you are either. But if things had gone another way, I know we would've done differently. That's what sets us apart from monsters like Malefor. He was given a choice and he chose murder. We could never choose otherwise."

Tsunami nodded, feeling numb. She'd kept it secret for so long; the knowledge that she'd been the one to end her father's life. Her mother, her friends... nobody knew of it but Cynder. Too long had she kept the guilt and anguish bottled up inside of her, never telling anyone, always afraid of what they'd think of her.

But now it had all come out like a flood. Now she understood why it was so easy to tell the SkyWing. She'd found somebody who'd listen, somebody who she could confide in, who wouldn't judge her for her sins and so the dam holding back her grief and horror had finally shattered.

"What we can choose is what we do now," Cynder said. "I came here to try and do some good; to see this prophecy fulfilled and this pointless war ended. And we're going to do it. Together."

Tsunami met Cynder's fierce gaze at that and the black dragoness' confidence lit a new fire in her.

"Alright then," Tsunami said. "Let's end this stupid war."

 **Meanwhile...**

Camouflaged almost perfectly against the bark of a tall tree, Glory waited and listened to Tsunami and Cynder. It had turned out even better than she'd expected. Sure she'd overheard some things she probably wasn't meant to but she had no problems with keeping a secret.

It was an unprecedented success otherwise for not only had Cynder and Tsunami settled their differences but, more than that, they'd forged as close an understanding as any two dragons could have and Tsunami could now be rid of the guilt that had evidently plagued her since they'd left the Kingdom of the Sea. Glory smiled to herself at her handiwork as she slinked away and set herself down in her hammock.

Another big headache was out of the way and she could at last get some shuteye for a while. Nothing could possibly go wrong now. Or so she thought…

 **Author's Note:  
**

 **Hey guys! Thanks for your patience one and all and I'm glad to announce that Cynder is back and things are going to escalate fairly quickly from here! Hope you enjoyed the chapter-used it as an opportunity to explore the minds of two of the dragonets, Glory and Tsunami, and their perspectives on the newly-arrived Wings of Sky.**

 **I wanted to show that by this point of time, Glory's already thought her way through about the prophecy and decided that she really doesn't need a part in any of it. And she's already secure in the fact that her friends won't abandon her even if someone takes her place in the prophecy and now she's got something else important to do-helping the RainWings defend themselves against the NightWings.**

 **Besides that I actually wanted to depict Tsunami, who was initially suspicious of Cynder's intent, to have found a kindred spirit in Cynder. They've both done things they're not proud of but as opposed to Cynder who's had Farsight to counsel her, Tsunami had no one to turn to and was still coming to terms with what she'd done. Her plight served as common ground for the two dragons, previously at odds, to connect as they faced their own shadows of guilt, hence the name of the chapter.  
**

 **Now Cynder hasn't actually expressed how she feels about her mother's role in Gill's death and so it remains to be seen how any possible reunion between the two will turn out. Suffice to say this will complicate things a bit.**

 **Now that Cynder's place among the dragonets has been properly established, it's time to proceed with the show as plots come to light, worlds collide and the darkness of the Eternal Night falls (yes I hope you haven't forgotten about Malefor's intent to return on the Night of Eternal Darkness XD) How will Glory be proven wrong? Well I'm not saying anything except that it may have something to do with NightWings... Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Truths and Threats**

To say the past days had been hectic would have been a dramatic understatement. Even the normally-sleepy RainWings noticed the change in atmosphere in their secluded village, though, for the most part, their lives went on rather normally. But for a certain group of dragonets, things had heated up remarkably quickly.

Hardly two days ago, Clay had hurried back from the tunnel entrance he and Starflight had been guarding with news that the NightWing dragonet had inexplicably upped and vanished. The tunnel served as the only known route into and out of the Night Kingdom at this point of time and it had been used extensively by the NightWings to abduct several dragons from the rainforest, Queen Glory being one of only two RainWings to escape their clutches.

Given Starflight's conviction that the kidnappings could only be the result of some kind of terrible misunderstanding between the two tribes and his well-known, perhaps slightly naïve, faith in the power of diplomacy, everyone agreed that he had most likely gone to try to reason with the NightWings.

This most recent development had left them all in a very difficult position.

On one talon, they weren't even sure of the real reason Starflight had gone to the NightWings. The concern that hung heavy on all their minds was that the NightWing dragonet instead intended to warn the Night Kingdom of the rescue attempt they were planning. If that was the case, then they would lose the crucial element of surprise and the rescue mission would almost inevitably fail.

But on the other talon, if Starflight really had gone to try and talk some sense into his tribe, he could be in very real danger. The picture Glory had painted of the Night Kingdom and her time there left no illusion in anyone's mind, save perhaps Starflight's, that the NightWings meant well.

There was a good chance that they would pay no heed to Starflight and he would end up like the other captive RainWings. At best, he would be another dragon they would need to set free. Nobody really wanted to give voice to the alternative.

For now, the best approach seemed to be one of caution. They had no way to be sure what the NightWings knew and didn't know. For now all they could do was wait and hope the next day would turn up something new.

For their part, Cynder and Tsunami had spent the days after Starflight's disappearance doing their best to train the RainWings and trying to find ways to fortify the tunnel entrance to keep unexpected visitors out of the rainforest.

So far, the latter task was proving by far to be the more achievable of the two. Drawing on her prior experience with guerrilla warfare, Cynder was able to put together a handful of rudimentary jungle traps. Following an afternoon of hard work, she, Tsunami and, to their mutual surprise, Pyro (and his diminutive but trusty axe) had managed to rig an impressive series of improvised defences around the tunnel entrance.

They weren't the imposing guard towers and ramparts Cynder had become familiar with during her early years but they were the best that could be done with the resources available and they were all more or less satisfied with what had been accomplished.

Readying the RainWings for battle, on the other talon, was proving far more challenging. Cynder could see why Tsunami had been so frustrated when she'd first seen the SeaWing training them. Her battles in the Dragon Reals and her two prior excursions to Pyrrhia had given her the general impression that most dragons made natural fighters.

But now she found herself seriously doubting that assessment. The vast majority of the RainWings that Tsunami had to work with were forgetful, easily-distracted and not very inclined to listen to instructions. No matter what the two of them tried, battle training was creeping along at a snail's pace and there seemed to be nothing they could do about it.

When night eventually cast its shadow over the rainforest canopy, Cynder and Tsunami dismissed their charges and, sharing a despairing glance, tiredly winged their way over to Glory's hut where the other dragonets were gathering for the night. A cursory look at the others told Cynder that she and Tsunami weren't the only ones; it had been a long day for everybody. Of everyone present in the hut, only Pyro seemed to have any energy left-not that the strange scavenger ever seemed to suffer any shortage.

Having spent almost the entire morning and afternoon standing vigil over the tunnel and watching for any signs of Starflight, Clay looked just as exhausted as Cynder felt. Thankfully, he had been relieved by a small group of RainWings towards the end of the day, though he expressed no small measure of reluctance at leaving his post.

"What if Starflight comes along and they mistake him for a regular NightWing?" Clay worried. "I'm not sure they'll be able to recognize him."

"It'll be alright, Clay," Sunny assured him. "If anybody comes out of there, they'll let us know."

Clay didn't seem convinced but before he could give voice to his concern, a banana, a mango and a papaya sailed through the window in quick succession and struck him square on the snout.

Blinking in surprise, the MudWing glanced around. "I don't normally mind fruit," he remarked. "But even I have my objections to its use as a projectile."

Pyro swaggered in, an assortment of fruit clutched precariously against his small chest. The scavenger swayed, drunkenly-off balance, and then unceremoniously deposited his cargo in the midst of the seated dragonets. He shot everybody a double thumbs-up and proceeded to nestle up against Cynder's folded wing.

"Well, thanks I guess," Clay said. "Is it just me or does it feel kind of weird talking to someone when you're not sure they can understand?"

"I don't know, Clay, I think he might understand more than he lets on," Sunny told him, petting Pyro gently with a claw. "Where did you find him, Cynder? He's adorable."

"I'm ashamed to say it was the other way around," Cynder replied. "He found me washed up on the beach and saved my life. I wouldn't be here if not for him."

"This scavenger saved your life?" Glory asked incredulously as Pyro enfolded Sunny's claw in a bear hug. "They usually attack dragons on sight."

"Well, aside from Pyro, I've never actually seen any others but I guess they're not all bad," Cynder said, watching with no small measure of amusement as the human clambered up Sunny's arm and tried to climb the giggling SandWing's neck.

"He's just like your sloth, Glory," Sunny laughed while Pyro lost his grip, flailed his arms around and promptly tumbled down from her shoulder, landing in a heap.

Glory studied the peculiar scavenger critically as he dusted himself down. "Sure, he's not as fluffy, small or well-behaved," she quipped. "He's hyperactive, not particularly good at climbing and he might set fire to the rainforest at any moment. But sure I guess you could say he's just like a sloth in every other meaningful way."

They all chuckled at her sarcasm. It felt strange to have a reason to laugh especially with all that had happened lately and all they'd been through. But it was a refreshing break from the tension and worry that had settled over them since Starflight's disappearance.

"Cynder?" Sunny suddenly asked. "You said you only met him when you came to Pyrrhia. What was it like where you lived?"

Cynder grimaced involuntarily, something that didn't go unnoticed by the other dragonets.

"But it's okay if you don't want to talk about it," the SandWing added quickly. "I mean-"

"It's alright, Sunny," Cynder said, taking a deep breath. She knew the unspoken question behind Sunny's request; something that must've been on everybody's minds ever since they accepted the truth that she was indeed the lost Wings of Sky. She'd given them the short version on the beach when she'd first met them. But now it was they heard it all from her.

"You've all been really open with me," she said. "I'm grateful for that. And, more than that, it's about time I repaid your honesty. I think it'll be easier for everybody if I started my tale right from the beginning."

And so she told them of her early years; while they grew up under a mountain in Pyrrhia, she was raised in the Dark Master's stronghold in the Dragon Realms. She spoke of how, like them, she never knew her parents or any other members of her kind. Even as her audience listened on in rapt attention, Cynder was assailed by a storm deep inside.

She felt a strange mix of comfort and longing as she told them of the Assassin, the closest thing she'd ever had to a father, and the happier times they'd shared together. Unexpected tears sprang to her eyes as memories of old friends were dredged up; Albus and Barty-the two Apes who were like brothers to her but were now long gone.

An edge like cold steel crept into her voice as she spoke of her first meeting with the Dark Master and how he'd convinced her with lies and deceit to learn from him and to free him from his imprisonment. She described her surprise when she'd first learned about Pyrrhia from her foster father and her unrestrained hope that she might find her family and others of her kind there. She told the dragonets of how it had all turned to horror when she was captured and taken to the Sky Kingdom's arena-a cruel twist of fate that so aptly mirrored their own experiences.

"I was trapped, alone and afraid," she continued darkly. "Malefor took the opportunity to reveal what had happened all those years ago. He showed me a vision of what Burn had done."

"Imagine my dismay when I found out I was just another casualty of a mad bid for power. But Malefor wasn't finished. It was then that he revealed my mother's role in all of it. All my life I'd imagined her as this loving, caring figure who must've been so worried for her lost daughter. But now I'd been show that she let Burn do it-she ended my life before it even began."

Cynder paused. "Everything I hoped for was gone. I'd never felt so cold and empty in my life. Malefor made me harness my grief and rage, teaching me to wield his dark magic. He offered me a chance for revenge and, blindly, I seized it."

"With my newfound powers, I fought my way free of that awful place. In a way, it was everything I'd wished for; I got to see my real home, I'd met others dragons and I'd found my mother. It should've been a dream come true but it felt more like a waking nightmare."

She told them how, in the years after, she became Malefor's lieutenant, leading his armies to cut a bloody swathe across the Dragon Realms and crushing his enemies at his direction. Everything about it felt so wrong but each time she doubted, Malefor would be there. He would whisper to her from the darkness, convincing her that it had to be done; that there could be no victory without sacrifice.

But she could never truly shake her unease and, with every battle she won, she also lost a part of herself until it became a constant struggle to hold onto who she was. All the while the Dark Master relentlessly cast and tempered her in the inferno of war, making her less a dragon and ever more the perfect weapon.

"By the time I found out the truth, it was already too late," Cynder said bitterly. "Malefor told me himself. He told me everything; how he'd deceived to me, used me and remade me in his dark image. I had only ever been a pawn in a game I didn't even understand. Everything I'd grown up knowing-what I thought I knew about my mother and the war against dragonkind-it was now nothing more than an elaborate lie."

"I tried to walk away. I thought by leaving and never coming back, I could still stop him. But it was no longer even my choice to make. Malefor didn't need my cooperation anymore. With everything I'd done, every life I'd taken, his power over me grew. Now he simply seized control while I could do nothing but watch."

And so began the darkest part of her tale-her time as a prisoner within her own body while the Dark Master's schemes drew ever closer to fruition. With her in his thrall, he almost succeeded. But somehow the fractured remnants of dragonkind managed to rise again. She told them of Spyro, the Purple Dragon of yet another prophecy, and, how against the odds, he had held back the darkness.

"He saved the world," Cynder said. "And he freed me from Malefor's evil. I can never repay Spyro for what he did or the kindness of the dragons who forgave me for what I'd done. Now I'm here trying to set things right for a change." She looked around at the other dragonets who stared at her in silence.

"I don't blame you for being wary now that you've heard my story," Cynder told them, glancing at her clasped claws. "After everything I've done, I don't even think I'd trust myself. But I want to help you end this pointless war and I'm prepared to prove it."

Silence settled over the group. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, Cynder thought to herself, doubt gnawing away deep inside. What are they thinking now that they know the truth?

Tsunami was the first to say something. "Cynder, I can't pretend to speak for everyone but, for what it's worth, I trust you. I've had some time to get to know you and you don't come across as a cold-blooded murderer. If things had gone another way, I know you would've done differently. You never had a choice up till now."

A ghost of a smile played about Cynder's snout. That was what she'd told the SeaWing just days before, she realized. "Thanks, Tsunami," she said, heartened by her friend's affirmation. "Coming from you, that really means a lot."

She glanced at the others, awaiting their verdict.

"Well, it seems as though you've won over the most stubborn of us," Glory said with a chuckle. "I think you might've unknowingly set a new world record. But suffice to say, if Tsunami trusts you then so do I."

The other two dragonets nodded their agreement and Sunny even reached over and patted Cynder comfortingly on the claw.

"Don't worry, Cynder," the small SandWing said. "Once we get Starflight back and we're all together, there's nothing that can stop this prophecy. We'll end the war and then we can all go home."

"There's another thing," Cynder said suddenly, meeting Tsunami's eye. "Now that you all know what I am and what I've done, there's something else I need to tell you all and I don't think there will ever be a better time than this. I've talked to Tsunami about it and she's told me that you should all know this-sooner rather than later."

The dragonets watched Cynder intently. She took a deep breath and collected herself before going on.

"Tsunami told me how much bad blood there is between you and Queen Scarlet," she said. "She told me everything Scarlet did and how much hurt you suffered at her talons. I want you to know that I won't defend her actions." She glanced at Glory. "And I don't blame you for what you had to do."

"What I want to tell you…" Her voice died in her throat. Cynder closed her eyes and steeled herself as she struggled to get the words out.

"Queen Scarlet is my mother," she said finally. "And I am so sorry for all that she did to you."

 **Meanwhile…**

The SandWing Princess Blaze woke with a start to the shouts of alarm and the roars of furious dragons coming from outside the fortress. Two of her SandWing guards burst into the chamber, a look of apprehension on their faces.

"Wha-what's going on?" Blaze asked rubbing her eyes and getting up.

"We're under attack, Your Highness," one of the SandWing guards said hurriedly. "Something tore right through the sentries on patrol outside and made a mad dash for the fortress. Some soldiers went out to try and to stop it but it-"

"Would you stop that? You're scaring the Princess!" the other SandWing guard snapped at him. He turned to Blaze and forced himself to speak in an even voice. "Your Highness, we need to get you out of here right now. The fortress isn't safe anymore."

Blaze blanched. The memory of NightWing assassin who had tried to kill her was still unpleasantly fresh in her mind. She got to her feet and made to follow the two guards but before she could even take two steps, _something_ strode into the chamber.

"You must be Princess Blaze," it said in a hiss like scales slithering against stone.

Blaze could only stare at the newcomer, rooted to the spot by a growing sense of dread. It was a SkyWing, she realized. Hadn't Glacier said they had stopped attacking since Queen Scarlet's disappearance? But then she noticed the series of cruel gashes in its throat and the fresh wounds gouged all along its bloodied wings. Perhaps worst of all were its eyes-sunken and burning with volumes of unearthly malice. What in the moons was this thing?

"My name is Kestrel," rasped the ghoulish SkyWing in answer to her unspoken question. "And I bear a message for you from my master."

Before it could continue, one of Blaze's guards charged, stinger tail already plunging down with deadly intent.

"Go!" he bellowed as the SkyWing reared up. "Take the Princess with you! Get out of here while you still can!"

They didn't need to be told twice. But even as Blaze made haste after her remaining guard she could not help but cast a terrified glance back over her shoulder. What she saw made her blood run cold.

The SkyWing, with slow and deliberate intent, yanked the guard's tail barb out from her neck. The guard could only look on in horror as the creature tightened its grip around his stinger.

Blaze tore her gaze from the terrifying, still-living SkyWing just in time to hear the guard scream horribly. Seized by wild panic, she leapt into the air and flew as fast as her wings could carry her and away from the monster that was surely after her.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey everybody! My sincere apologies for not updating this story in such a long time! And my sincere thanks to all my readers who've borne with me thus far. I'm glad to announce that my long disappearance is officially over. I'm back and I don't intend to force anyone to wait any longer for plot progression.**

 **Speaking of which, I hope you enjoyed this (surprisingly-long) chapter! I decided everybody's waited far too long for an update here and so I tried to cover as much ground as I could.**

 **Cynder's decided that she doesn't want any skeletons hanging around in her closet and she's elected to tell the dragonets about everything she's gone through since the Brightest Night and even the identity of her mother. How they will react to the latter, well that remains to be seen! I must make mention of how glad I am to have listened to the song Path to Isolation by Casey Lee Williams-I found personally that the lyrics really resonated with Cynder's character and experiences and the song was truly inspirational while writing her recount!**

 **And in the meantime, Kestrel's certainly got down to business, hunting Blaze all the way in the Ice Kingdom and rather loudly infiltrating her home. Suffice to say, the Dark Master's got plans for Pyrrhia and, who knows, they might involve a certain trio of SandWing sisters! XD What do you guys think our resident evil dragon is up to this time?**

 **Also, my sincere apologies if my writing's a little rusty-I've been extremely busy for the past few months but I'm working on getting it back up to scratch!**

 **Things are still rather hectic on my side but I don't intend to let that stop me ever again. I'm making it my personal mission to update at least one of my stories on a weekly basis (and partly because a certain** _ **thrilling**_ **SkyWing Queen sitting next to me is threatening to set fire to my house if she isn't pleased with my progress! Oh Scarlet, how I've missed having you for a backseat driver ^^)**

 **But I do really hope you've found this chapter enjoyable and I look forward to bringing you the next installment soon! (And as you might've guessed, it involves NightWings!) XD**


	11. Temporary Notice

Temporary Notice

Hey there everybody! First of all, I'd like to express my deepest, most heartfelt thanks to all my readers for all your support and patience! You've all been a real source of encouragement for me over the past month and words alone cannot express how grateful I am to have you guys around! XD

Second of all, I need to sincerely apologise to all of you as I probably will not be able to post any updates for this week I'm currently recovering from a recent surgery but I'll be back hopefully by next week with new chapters for your enjoyment! Again, my earnest apologies and hoping for your kind understanding!:)

-The Marine


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